Taiwan must pass defence spending to avoid giving wrong impression, president says

TAIPEI, Feb 4 (Reuters) - If Taiwan’s opposition-controlled parliament continues to block $40 billion in proposed extra defence spending the international community could misunderstand the island’s determination to defend itself, President Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday. Pressure from politicans in the United States, Chinese-claimed Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier despite a lack of formal diplomatic ties, has grown on parliament not to hold up defence spending. On Monday, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Armed Services Committee and one of the strongest advocates for Taiwan in the U.S. Congress, wrote on X that he was “disappointed” to see Taiwan’s opposition parties slash Lai’s defence budget. At a meeting of his Democratic Progressive Party, Lai said if the opposition continued blocking the plans and presses on with their own version, “This is bound to delay improvements to defence capabilities”. That “could lead the international community to misunderstand Taiwan’s determination to defend itself and to safeguard peace in the Indo-Pacific”, Lai added, in comments provided by his party. Another U.S. lawmaker, Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, a staunch Trump administration supporter, directly criticised the Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan’s largest opposition party, senior officials of which are now visiting Beijing. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what’s going on here,” he said on X, in reference to the visit. “I’ve warned before - short changing Taiwan’s defence to kowtow to the CCP is playing with fire.” Taiwan’s opposition-dominated parliament has blocked Lai’s budget plan, including missiles and drones as well as the new “T-Dome” air defence system, pushing instead for a proposal to fund only certain U.S. arms, rather than the entire package. The KMT says while it supports strengthening Taiwan’s defences, it has a right to fully scrutinise government spending plans and will not sign “blank cheques”. “We thank members of the U.S. Senate for their valuable input,” it said in an English-language statement. “The KMT remains fully committed to safeguarding Taiwan’s security, strengthening our defence capabilities, and also engaging constructively through dialogue to advance peace and stability across the Strait.” China regularly stages military exercises around Taiwan, and refuses to talk to Lai, calling him a “separatist”. Lai says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.