During a speech at a forum, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te stated that by 2026, the national defense budget will reach more than 3% of GDP. In response, China's Ministry of National Defense stated that Lai Ching-te and others, by kowtowing to the US and selling out Taiwan, will ultimately be lambs thrown into the tiger’s mouth.
According to the official website of China’s Ministry of National Defense, there are reports that Lai Ching-te declared next year's Taiwan defense budget will be increased to more than 3% of GDP. Some analysts say this is an increase in response to US concerns. On the 8th, spokesperson Jiang Bin said in response to an inquiry that Taiwan is a province of China, so where does the so-called "national defense budget" come from?
Jiang Bin stated that Lai Ching-te and others, disregarding the welfare of people on the island, have bottomlessly "relied on external forces for seeking independence" and "kowtowed to the US, selling out Taiwan." Not only do they repackage the exploitation and squeezing from tariffs as negotiation results to deceive the Taiwanese public, but they also want to squander more of the hard-earned money of the Taiwanese people as a "protection fee" to the US. Ultimately, this will only lead to the result of a lamb into the tiger’s mouth, with everything lost.
On the 5th, Lai Ching-te gave an English speech at the opening ceremony of the Ketagalan Forum, saying that Taiwan is in a key position within the first island chain and is an important pivot for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
He also mentioned the recent completion in July of the Han Kuang exercises, which verified the response capabilities of various locations and units throughout Taiwan in facing extreme situations. Looking ahead, he will continue to promote national defense reforms, and next year's defense budget will reach more than 3% of GDP, further enhancing Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities.
Taiwan’s 2025 national defense budget is more than NT$647 billion (about RM91.7 billion), accounting for about 2.45% of GDP. If next year's defense budget reaches 3% of GDP, the total amount may reach NT$800 billion.