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Along with the latest equipment — much of it from the United
States, the military is seeking funds to retain more service
people with higher pay and to lengthen compulsory national
service from four months to one year.
In a speech Thursday to the American Chamber of Commerce, Lai
said his administration is determined to "ensure that our
defense budget exceeds 3% of the GDP. At the same time, we will
continue to reform national defense.”
Lai’s comments were the latest reassurance to U.S. and domestic
critics who say Taiwan is not spending enough on its own
defense. The self-governing island, which relies on the U.S. for
much of its cutting-edge weaponry, currently spends about 2.45%
of its gross domestic product on its military.
U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that Taiwan increase
defense spending as high as 10% of GDP, a proportion well above
what the U.S. or any of its major allies spend, in order to
deter China.
China’s actions have also unsettled neighbors in the South China
Sea and other parts of the Indo-Pacific.
Leaders in Australia and New Zealand have said China should have
given them more warning before its navy conducted an unusual
series of live fire exercises in the seas between the two
countries last month, forcing flights to divert on short notice.
Lai said that Taiwan plans to “advance our cooperation with the
U.S. and other democracies in upholding regional stability and
prosperity."
China considers the self-governing democracy of Taiwan as part
of its own territory and has significantly boosted its military
to make good on its threat to invade the island to assert its
control.
Raymond Greene, the de-facto U.S. ambassador to Taiwan; Dan
Silver, the chamber chairperson; and Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy
attended the speech.
Taiwan and the U.S. have no formal diplomatic ties but American
law requires Washington respond to threats toward the island.
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