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Reuters (16 June 2026)

Ann Wang

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Tuesday he would "not give up" on increasing defence spending, after the island's opposition-majority ​parliament last month passed just two-thirds of a $40 billion supplementary budget.

Taiwan's government ‌is prioritising drones and other asymmetric systems for its military modernisation programme but parliament only signed off on the purchase of U.S. weapons. It vetoed funds for domestically made drones ​and missiles which Lai wants to better deter China which views ​the democratically governed island as its own territory.

"Regarding the major cuts ⁠to the special national defence budget, we will not give up," he said ​at a military base in New Taipei.

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