Taiwan opposition backs only part of defence boost as arms deadline dispute grows
TAIPEI, March 6 — Taipei’s defence minister rebuked the main opposition on Friday after it proposed funding only about 30% of the government’s planned additional defence spending and set a 2028 deadline for completing U.S. weapons purchases, a timeline the minister said would make key procurement projects impossible.
ReutersThe dispute highlights deepening political divisions in Taiwan over military spending and defence preparedness at a time of rising security pressure from China and growing calls from the United States for the island to strengthen its defences.Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Defence Minister Wellington Koo said the opposition-backed plan would impose restrictions that would effectively halt several planned weapons programmes. The government’s proposal includes systems such as precision artillery and anti-armour unmanned platforms designed to strengthen Taiwan’s asymmetric defence strategy. Reuters“If everything is required to be delivered and fully implemented before that deadline, it would in effect shut down these projects, making their execution impossible,” Koo said.Budget dispute in parliamentThe main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), which holds parliamentary influence alongside smaller parties, has advanced a counterproposal that caps spending at about T$380 billion ($11.96 billion) roughly one-third of the funding sought by the government.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te had proposed a significantly larger defence package aimed at strengthening the island’s deterrence against Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its territory and has increased military pressure in recent years. Opposition lawmakers say their proposal reflects the need for stricter legislative scrutiny of defence spending. The KMT has argued that procurement through commercial channels could be vulnerable to irregularities and has called for weapons purchases to focus primarily on government-to-government agreements with Washington.Koo rejected that approach, warning that excluding certain acquisition channels would create gaps in Taiwan’s defence capabilities and undermine efforts to strengthen joint operational readiness.He added that the government’s proposal has the backing of both the U.S. administration and members of Congress.U.S. pressure and security concernsWashington, Taiwan’s most important security partner and arms supplier, has repeatedly urged Taipei to accelerate defence reforms and increase spending to counter mounting military pressure from Beijing.
Taiwan NewsThe political standoff in the legislature has raised concerns among U.S. policymakers that delays could slow Taiwan’s acquisition of key defence systems intended to improve its ability to repel a potential attack.China regularly conducts military exercises around Taiwan and has refused formal dialogue with Lai, whom Beijing labels a separatist. Lai has rejected the claim and says only Taiwan’s people can decide the island’s future. Cross-strait diplomacy adds political tensionThe budget dispute has also unfolded alongside sensitive cross-strait political developments.Senior figures in the KMT have said the party remains in contact with the Chinese Communist Party and are working toward a potential visit to China later this year. KMT leaders have expressed hope that such a trip could include a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The prospect of political engagement with Beijing has drawn scrutiny from some Taiwanese officials and analysts, who say defence policy and cross-strait relations are becoming increasingly intertwined in domestic politics.For now, negotiations over the defence spending package remain unresolved in parliament, leaving the scale and timeline of Taiwan’s planned military procurement uncertain.
