Taipei, Taiwan
CNN
–
Hours after Donald Trump’s frosty inauguration in Washington, Taiwan’s parliament voted to freeze billions of dollars in defense spending, a move that could frustrate the famously transactional president, who has already sought American protection from Taipei. have demanded to pay “more” for
The U.S. is a key ally and arms supplier to Taiwan, a democratically-ruled island and semiconductor powerhouse that China’s Communist Party considers part of its territory — though it has never controlled it. What – and what is the determination to take a day by force if necessary.
The opposition-led vote to freeze defense spending underscores the domestic challenges facing Taiwan President Lai Ching-te even as China steps up its diplomatic and military efforts to isolate and intimidate the island.
Lai’s party lacks a majority in Taiwan’s fractious and weak parliament, casting doubt on his ability to pass legislation that would boost U.S. support — and an unusual commander-in-chief in the White House. approval
“If there is not enough budget to continuously improve Taiwan’s defense reforms and capabilities, the international community will doubt Taiwan’s commitment to self-defense,” Lai said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
Lai’s administration also drew criticism for an opposition-backed budget freeze, which covers indigenously designed submarines and an indigenous drone program.
Taiwanese Prime Minister Chou Jung-tai told reporters Thursday that the move was “suicidal,” while Defense Minister Wellington Ko said it “sent the wrong signal to the United States.”
Trump’s return to power — and his “America First” agenda — has fueled some anxiety about Washington’s commitment to the island in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
For decades, the United States has maintained a close security partnership with Taipei despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties. Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States is legally obligated to provide Taiwan with the means of self-defense. However, Washington has been deliberately vague about how it would respond to an attack – a policy known as “strategic ambiguity.”
last year, American intelligence analyzes suggested. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has ordered his military to be ready for an attack by 2027, although assessments have stressed that this does not mean an attack will happen in 2027.
Days before Trump took office, Taiwan’s defense ministry made a rare admission that Washington had signed a two-year deal to train Taiwanese troops at a naval base on the island. While Taiwan has previously confirmed the presence of US military trainers, it was unusual for the military to release details of such exchanges.
But Trump has been a less vocal supporter of Taiwan than his predecessor, Joe Biden. Last year, he falsely accused Taiwan of stealing “almost 100%” of America’s semiconductor industry. He also hinted that Taiwan should pay more for U.S. protection, while suggesting that the U.S. would have difficulty defending the island because of its remoteness.
Trump has also repeatedly called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending to 10 percent of its GDP — four times its current allocation. Analysts told CNN that the demand would be unrealistic, noting that Taiwan already has a backlog of more than $20 billion in undelivered US military equipment.
On the streets of the capital, Taipei, some residents told CNN they were worried about how the political dispute would be viewed by the new US administration.
“I hope Taiwan’s legislature will not embarrass itself and lose face to foreign countries,” said Wang Chengyi, a postgraduate student at National Taiwan University. “It can make people feel that even though Taiwan is good at some things, politically it’s quite unstable.”
For Ms. Hsu, a 75-year-old resident of Taipei who has kept only her surname, the key to fostering political unity is simple.
“Everybody should sit down and talk,” she said. “Taiwan must balance relations with both the US and China. We are small. We cannot afford to displease any big brother. This is a delicate situation.”
While Taipei is armed with American weapons, it stands out against Beijing, which has the world’s largest standing army and spends 11 times more on defense than Taiwan.
There are also concerns among defense experts about the effectiveness of Taiwan’s reservist training and the military’s slow progress in transitioning to asymmetric warfare — a strategy that focuses on small, hard-to-detect weapons such as drones and portable missiles. While Taipei has accelerated military reforms in recent years, some observers – including Council of Foreign Affairs – Says it needs to be done a lot.
And it’s not just Taiwan’s military that is facing budget challenges.
Earlier this week, undersea cables connecting Taiwan to the outer Matsu Islands were severed due to “natural deterioration,” according to the island’s Ministry of Digital Affairs. The islands – controlled by Taipei but located just a few miles off the Chinese coast – previously suffered an internet outage in 2023 after the same cables were damaged.
The ministry warned that new budget cuts – covering everything from health care to foreign affairs – would undermine its ability to repair critical infrastructure, putting those at risk. Concerns will be highlighted about which Beijing can take advantage of.
Alexander Huang, head of international affairs for the main opposition Kuomintang party, defended the freeze on defense spending and questioned the effectiveness of investing heavily in the submarine program before the first ship had completed sea trials.
“We are not opposed to the development of indigenous weapons systems. However, we stress that we need to be very careful to ensure that our autonomous submarines can actually operate, He told CNN.
But Wei Ting Yin, an assistant research fellow at Taiwan’s Academia Sinica, said it was “too bad” that Taiwan’s domestic political squabbles prevented the island from presenting a unified message to the Trump team that it was serious about its defense. Is and is worth it. US support continued.
“With or without Trump’s inauguration, with China’s increasing aggression on Taiwan, it is really Taiwan’s top priority to continue to increase its self-defense budget,” Yen said. “It’s definitely not a good sign.”
Yi Hsien-wei, a student from Taipei, said Taiwan’s vast semiconductor industry, which supplies many of the chips powering the global AI revolution, is a better deterrent against Beijing.
“The world needs our chips, so I don’t think China will risk a war,” he told CNN. “We need to be prepared, but maybe not too worried.”
