Taiwan’s defence ministry is preparing to request up to $33 billion in special funding to significantly strengthen the island’s military capabilities in the face of a potential attack from China, a senior lawmaker told AFP.
The proposed seven-year special budget is expected to range between NT$800 billion and NT$1 trillion (approximately $26 billion to $33 billion), said Wang Ting-yu, a prominent member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and a legislator on the Foreign Affairs and National Defence Committee.
While the final figure has not yet been confirmed, Wang said it will depend largely on ongoing negotiations with the United States over potential arms sales that would be included in the package.
“We want to build a complete defence ecology to defend our country,” Wang said in an interview this week, calling the proposed investment a “huge” enhancement of Taiwan’s self-defence capabilities.
According to Wang, the funding would go toward integrating Taiwan’s air defence systems, acquiring advanced detection technologies to identify small drones, rockets, and missiles, improving response times to threats, and expanding the island’s capacity to produce and store ammunition for wartime readiness.
The announcement comes amid growing concerns over Beijing’s military assertiveness. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has repeatedly threatened to seize the island by force if necessary. Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy, has been ramping up its defence efforts with strong support from the United States and other allies.
If approved, the proposed budget would mark the largest special defence allocation in Taiwan’s history, underscoring the government’s commitment to modernizing its armed forces and deterring potential aggression.
AFP
