Taiwan to Boost Arms Spending by $8.7 Billion, Warns of ‘Severe Threat’ From China

Soldiers march to position during an anti-invasion drill on the beach during the annual Han Kuang military drill in Tainan, Taiwan, on Sept. 14, 2021. Ann Wang/Reuters

The Taiwanese government announced on Sept. 16 a proposal to boost its defense spending by $8.69 billion ($240 billion Taiwan dollars) over the next five years, citing an urgent need to improve military equipment in the face of “severe threats” coming from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, reelected by a landslide last year on a pledge to stand up to the CCP, has made modernizing Taiwan’s mainly U.S.-equipped military a priority, turning it into a “porcupine,” both highly mobile and hard to attack.