Taiwan’s Leader Says Boosting defence Budget to Deter war
TAIPEI: Taiwan’s leader said Saturday the democratic island is looking to boost defence spending to “deter war” as China employs military pressure to establish its territorial claims.
Taiwan’s 23 million people live under the continual danger of an assault by China, which considers the island part of its territory and has threatened to use force to conquer it.
“By increasing investment in national defence, our aim is not to provoke, but to deter war,” President Lai Ching-te stated in a speech to honour Taiwan’s National Day.
Taiwan has been modernising its fighting capabilities to deter a possible Chinese invasion and to persuade the United States it is serious about defending itself. Successive administrations have cranked up military spending.
Lai’s government has budgeted a record NT1.1trillion(34.5 billion) for defence spending in 2027, at almost three percent of GDP.
Speaking to a crowd of thousands, including foreign diplomats, in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei for his annual address, Lai said: “We do not seek hegemony, nor do we seek to dominate others.”But peace cannot be based on wishes alone and tolerance cannot be an excuse for aggressors to advance any further,” Lai said, noting China continued to “apply pressure through military and grey-zone activities in an attempt to alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.”
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