The chief U.S. representative in Taiwan has publicly pressed the island's legislature to pass a wide-ranging supplemental defence budget, arguing that immediate approval is necessary to secure critical capabilities and send a clear signal internationally.
President Lai Ching-te proposed a $40 billion supplemental defence appropriation last year. The proposal covers acquisitions of U.S.-made systems as well as domestically produced equipment, including drones, with Taipei framing the package as a means to strengthen deterrence against the security threat posed by China. Lai has reiterated that only Taiwan's people can determine the island's future.
Despite the administration's push, parliamentary negotiations to move the proposal forward have stalled. The Kuomintang - Taiwan's principal opposition party with a majority in the legislature - says it supports defence spending in principle but rejects signing what it calls a "blank cheque," demanding greater transparency and more detailed plans from the government before approving the full package.
In remarks to a Taiwanese newspaper, Raymond Greene, who heads the American Institute in Taiwan and serves as Washington's top diplomat on the island, said passage of a "comprehensive budget package" was vital. He argued that approval would help ensure Taiwan can obtain the full suite of requested defence capabilities and would send a critical signal to the international community.
"This would not only send a critical signal to the international community, but is also essential for ensuring Taiwan acquires the full range of defence capabilities it has requested," Greene said.
Greene highlighted integrated air and missile defence systems and drones as priorities within the supplemental budget, saying these types of systems are in especially high demand around the globe. He cited recent battlefield experience in the Middle East and Ukraine as evidence of their importance and global scarcity.
Washington has already announced arms sales to Taiwan, including the Lockheed Martin-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system. U.S. officials and Taipei have warned that delays in approving the special defence budget could jeopardize Taiwan's place in production and delivery queues for U.S. weapons.
On the political front, KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun - who met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing earlier this month on a trip she described as a journey of peace - is scheduled to travel to the United States in June. Cheng told a local radio program she believes Taiwan should not be forced to choose between China and the United States, and she expressed concern about international anxiety over the potential for war between China and Taiwan.
"Who would be so foolish as to keep saying all day long that we have to choose between mainland China and the United States?" Cheng said.
The United States remains Taiwan's most significant international backer and supplier of arms. In December, the U.S. unveiled an $11 billion arms package for Taipei, described as the largest ever. China has repeatedly demanded that Washington cease arms sales to Taiwan.
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