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Record US$20 billion Taiwan defence budget to ‘mostly cover existing expenses’
- Analysts say arms orders and personnel costs will leave relatively little room for new weapons spending
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Lawrence Chungin Taipei
Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s government is proposing to spend a record NT$647 billion (US$19.9 billion) on defence next year in response to growing threats from Beijing, but relatively little will be available for new weapons, analysts said.
The unprecedented defence spending, out of a total expenditure of NT$3.13 trillion, is almost double the NT$359 billion listed during the first year of Lai’s predecessor Tsai Ing-wen’s term in 2016.
Lai, who also heads the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has been keen to demonstrate his government’s commitment to improving Taiwan’s defences.
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In a statement released by his office late on Tuesday, Lai said “we are determined to boost our self-defence and deepen cooperation with democratic partners to ensure peace and prosperity”.
Two days later, at a ceremony marking senior military promotions, Lai reiterated his determination to build a “strong and self-reliant” force against any potential aggression from the People’s Liberation Army.
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“We are promoting defence reforms, reinstating one-year compulsory military service, and ensuring adequate weaponry through both self-reliance in defence and military procurement,” he said.
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