US EditionUS Lawmakers Urge Taiwan Parliament to Approve $40 Billion Defense Budget
A bipartisan group of 37 U.S. lawmakers warns delays in approving Taiwan's $40 billion defense budget risk weakening joint defense against increasing threats from China.
- On Thursday, a bipartisan group of 37 U.S. lawmakers wrote senior Taiwanese leaders urging approval of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's US$40 billion defence proposal as parliament stalls.
- Domestic politics in Taiwan, where opposition controls parliament, have blocked Lai's full proposal, amid PRC pressure and Xi Jinping's focus on Taiwan, the letter said.
- Senators Pete Ricketts and Chris Coons and Representatives Young Kim and Ami Bera praised Taiwan's military progress and urged addressing weapon delivery backlogs.
- Taiwan's defence minister warned on Wednesday the stall risks a `rupture` in joint defence preparations, with the DPP supporting the U.S. letter urging approval.
- The broader U.S. policy environment explains bipartisan interest, as the U.S. pressed allies to increase defence spending, citing the acute threat from the People's Republic of China.
20 Articles
20 Articles
Taiwan defence budget delays may push island down US priority list: William Lai
Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has appealed for public support amid a dispute about a special military budget, warning that the deadlock could delay key weapons deliveries and send the island down the US arms supply priority list. The NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special budget has been repeatedly blocked by opposition parties, even as Taipei has come under increasing US pressure to prove its commitment to its own defence. Analysts wa…
U.S. lawmakers urge opposition to approve special defense budget
Washington/Taipei, Feb. 13 (CNA) A group of U.S. lawmakers from both chambers of Congress on Thursday wrote to Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and several political party leaders, calling on them to support the funding for Taiwan's special defense budget.
Times of India
The Economic TimesUS lawmakers urge 'significant' defense spending hike in Taiwan
American lawmakers are pushing Taiwan's political parties to approve significant defense spending increases. They warn that the threat from China is at an all-time high. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has proposed additional funds, but the opposition-controlled parliament has blocked it. The US stresses the need for Taiwan to step up its defense efforts to deter potential aggression from Beijing.
US lawmakers step up pressure on Taiwan parliament to approve defence spending
A bipartisan group of 37 U.S. lawmakers have written to senior Taiwanese politicians expressing concern about parliament stalling proposed defence spending, saying that the threat posed by China has never been greater.
The chairman of a U.S. House China Committee emphasized that Taiwan's strategic location within the first island chain is why deterring aggression in the Taiwan Strait is in the national interest of the United States. He further stated his hope that Taiwanese society would unite on defense issues and recognize that "the best way to achieve peace is to be prepared for war."
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