Taiwanese President Urges Parliament to Pass Military Budget to Bolster Defense Against China

‘[National defense] should be an area where we unite and present a common front to the outside,’ Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te delivers a speech during National Day celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan, on Oct. 10, 2025. Ann Wang/Reuters

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Feb. 11 urged parliament to pass a $40 billion special military budget, and the country’s defense minister warned that any delay could rupture Taiwan’s line of defense against China.

Lai announced the special budget in November 2025 to defend against military threats from the Chinese communist regime. On Dec. 17, 2025, the United States approved an $11.1 billion arms deal for Taiwan, the largest spending package ever proposed for the island nation.

The Taiwanese government’s opposition has put forward its own, less expensive proposals, which would only fund some U.S. weapons.

Kuomintang, the main opposition party, said that it must fully scrutinize the legislation and that although it supports defense spending, it will not sign “blank cheques.”

Lai said that his government will provide detailed plans for the opposition to consider and that he had not asked parliamentarians to pass the spending bill unconditionally.

“But national defence, so closely tied to national security, sovereignty, and our very survival, should be an area where we unite and present a common front to the outside,” Lai told reporters at the presidential palace.

“China’s threat is becoming increasingly serious. Taiwan’s defence budget must be passed smoothly. This represents Taiwan’s resolve, and it also shows that Taiwan is fulfilling its responsibilities as a member of the international community.”

Beijing considers the democratic, self-governing nation of Taiwan its own territory and has not ruled out taking control of the island by force. Taipei rejects Beijing’s territorial claim.

Speaking at the same news conference attended by Lai on Feb. 11, Taiwanese Defense Minister Wellington Koo said he had been discussing with the United States what weapons Taiwan needed to purchase.

Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo (L) inspects troops during a live fire exercise at the Fanshan training grounds in Pingtung, Taiwan, on Aug. 26, 2024. Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images

“In the Indo-Pacific, especially among the countries along the first island chain, Taiwan plays a uniquely critical, almost fated, role,” Koo said, referring to the major string of Pacific archipelagos that moves through Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

“We do not want Taiwan to become the rupture in the Indo-Pacific collective deterrence posture.”

Although the United States does not officially recognize Taiwan, Washington is Taipei’s most important ally and its largest arms supplier.

U.S. President Donald Trump recently held a telephone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and Trump said they discussed Taiwan, among other topics.

The U.S. president described his relationship with Xi as “extremely good” and said, “We both realize how important it is to keep it that way.”

China’s Shandong aircraft carrier is seen sailing near Taiwan on March 31, 2025. Taiwan Ministry of National Defense via AP

According to a Feb. 4 readout of the phone call published on China’s foreign ministry website, Xi reiterated the Chinese regime’s territorial claim on Taiwan and said that the United States should handle the issue of selling arms to Taipei “with prudence.”

Beijing routinely condemns U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, saying they violate its “one China” principle. Washington has long said such sales are consistent with U.S. law and policy.

US Commitment to Taiwan

Following the call between Trump and Xi, Lai reaffirmed Taipei’s strong relationship with Washington.

“The Taiwan–U.S. relationship is rock solid, and all cooperation projects will continue uninterrupted,” Lai told reporters on Feb. 5.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told The Epoch Times on Feb. 8 that the administration’s commitment to Taiwan remains unchanged and urged Beijing to stop pressuring the island.

“This Administration has been very clear that the enduring U.S. commitment to Taiwan continues, as it has for over four decades,” the spokesperson said.

“We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan.”

Reuters and Sean Tseng contributed to this report.