Taiwan must pass defence spending to avoid giving wrong impression, President says
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Pressure from politicians in the US has grown on Taiwan's Parliament not to hold up defence spending.
PHOTO: REUTERS
TAIPEI - If Taiwan’s opposition-controlled Parliament continues to block U S$40 billion (S$51 billion) in proposed extra defence spending,
Pressure from politicians in the United States, Chinese-claimed Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier despite a lack of formal diplomatic ties, has grown on Parliament not to hold up defence spending.
On Feb 2, US Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Armed Services Committee and one of the strongest advocates for Taiwan in the US Congress, wrote on X that he was “disappointed” to see Taiwan’s opposition parties slash Mr Lai’s defence budget.
At a meeting of his Democratic Progressive Party, Mr Lai said if the opposition continued blocking the plans and pressed on with their own version, “this is bound to delay improvements to defence capabilities”.
That “could lead the international community to misunderstand Taiwan’s determination to defend itself and to safeguard peace in the Indo-Pacific”, Mr Lai added, in comments provided by his party.
Another US lawmaker, Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, a staunch Trump administration supporter, directly criticised the Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan’s largest opposition party, senior officials of which are now visiting Beijing.
“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what’s going on here,” he said on X, in reference to the visit.
“I’ve warned before – short-changing Taiwan’s defence to kowtow to the CCP is playing with fire,” he added, referring to the Communist Party of China.
Taiwan’s opposition-dominated Parliament has blocked Mr Lai’s budget plan, including missiles and drones as well as the new “T-Dome” air defence system
The KMT says that while it supports strengthening Taiwan’s defences, it has a right to fully scrutinise government spending plans and will not sign “blank cheques”.
“We thank members of the US Senate for their valuable input,” it said in an English-language statement.
“The KMT remains fully committed to safeguarding Taiwan’s security, strengthening our defence capabilities, and also engaging constructively through dialogue to advance peace and stability across the Strait.”
China regularly stages military exercises around Taiwan, and refuses to talk to Mr Lai, calling him a “separatist”.
Mr Lai says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
Mr Wang Huning, China’s top official in charge of Taiwan policy, told KMT vice-chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen during a meeting in Beijing earlier on Feb 4: “We should uphold the concept that the ‘two sides of the Strait are one family’.”
Both the KMT and China’s ruling Communist Party must “resolutely oppose Taiwan independence separatism and interference by external forces, and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait”, state media quoted Mr Wang as saying. REUTERS
