Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Supports Increase in Defense Spending

Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lin Chia-lung, expressed support for the continuation of modernization and increased defense spending in the face of growing threats from China, responding to criticism from former US President Donald Trump.

Trump, who participated in a rematch against President Joe Biden, said in an interview published this week that «Taiwan should pay us for defense» and expressed outrage over the ban on Chinese companies in the American semiconductor market.

The US is an important international partner and arms supplier to Taiwan, which China considers its territory. Despite the lack of official diplomatic relations, Washington is legally obliged to provide means for the defense of the island.

However, Taiwan does not have an official defense pact with the United States, like Japan or South Korea, due to the termination of the previous agreement in 1979 when Taipei diplomatically recognized Beijing.

President Biden rejected the US’s policy of strategic ambiguity in 2022, stating that American troops would defend Taiwan in the event of Chinese aggression.

Responding to Trump’s comments, Lin told foreign journalists in Taipei that all Taiwanese-American relations are based on support from both political parties in the US, which is the basis for joint actions in response to threats from China.

Taiwan’s Defense Spending Doubled Over Past Eight Years

Over the past eight years, Taiwan’s defense spending has doubled and currently stands at 2.5% of GDP, according to the minister. «We plan to continue increasing these expenditures,» said Lin.

Taiwan is actively modernizing its defense forces, including developing its own submarines, considering its readiness to become an unsinkable target for China, which is conducting intensive military construction.

«We must be prepared to defend our country in the face of China’s increasing military expenditures,» emphasized the minister.

Lin also noted that Taiwan does not intend to limit its military goals as defined by Beijing and plans to independently develop its defense capabilities according to its own needs.