US lawmakers told Taiwan’s parliament that the threat from China “has never been greater.” Meanwhile, Taipei signed a trade agreement with the US to reduce tariffs and strengthen cooperation in semiconductors and artificial intelligence.
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Last year, Lai Ching-te unveiled a $40 billion supplemental defense budget aimed at speeding up weapons acquisitions and bolstering deterrence against China. A bipartisan group of 37 US lawmakers called on Taiwan’s parliament to pass a proposed multibillion-dollar defense package, cautioning that the threat from China “has never been greater.” Lai Ching-te proposed an additional $40 billion (€33.72 billion) in defense spending last year, but the measure stalled in the opposition-controlled legislature. China seeking control of Taiwan, US lawmakers sayIn a letter released Thursday and addressed to parliamentary speaker Han Kuo-yu and party leaders from the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), the US lawmakers said Beijing was ramping up pressure on the island and urged higher defense spending in line with Lai’s proposal. “The threat posed by the People’s Republic of China against Taiwan has never been greater. [Chinese President] Xi Jinping is focusing every element of the PRC’s national power to control Taiwan,” the letter stated, calling for a substantial increase in military funding. The opposition has put forward a smaller defense plan that would fund only part of the planned US arms purchases. In a statement, the TPP said it understood Washington’s concerns but emphasized that any spending proposals must undergo democratic oversight and adhere to fiscal responsibility. |