Taiwan Proposes 14% Military Budget Boost to Counter China

Taiwan on Thursday debuted a defense budget that would increase military spending by 13.9 percent over 2021, a considerably higher increase than suggested by legislators – but still not nearly enough to counter the threat of a Chinese invasion, according to defense analysts.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) explained that lawmakers from the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) recommended $480 billion (Taiwanese) for the 2023 military budget, but the Executive Yuan passed a budget of $586.3 billion. If that budget is used, Taiwan’s military spending would equal 2.7 percent of its Gross Domestic Product.

The Executive Yuan is Taiwan’s highest administrative agency, headed by Premier Su Tseng-chang. It is roughly equivalent in function to a presidential Cabinet. The legislature will debate and pass the final budget before sending it to President Tsai Ing-wen for her signature.

Some analysts, including former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, advised Taiwan to raise defense spending to three percent of GDP, the guideline followed by the United States. The extra money could be used to purchase costly defense items Taiwan needs to counter rising Chinese aggression, including warships, jet fighters, and missiles. 

Taiwan also needs more funding for operational and maintenance costs, since China’s provocations constantly force the Taiwanese military to respond – for example, by scrambling fighters to monitor Chinese warplanes when they violate Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

China began conducting aggressive military drills to simulate a blockade of Taiwan after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island on August 4. Chinese warplanes began constantly passing over the median line of the Taiwan Strait, previously seen as an informal barrier between China and Taiwan. On Thursday, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry reported five more Chinese planes flew across the median line.                                                                                                                                                    

On the other hand, heavy defense spending tends to be unpopular with Taiwanese voters, and the next presidential election is coming in 2024. Tsai’s platform includes promises to modernize Taiwan’s weapons.

The need for some improvements was starkly demonstrated by a viral video this week that showed Taiwanese soldiers stationed in the Kinmen Islands chucking rocks at a Chinese drone that approached their guard post.

The video, which was reportedly shot on August 16, became a sensation on Chinese social media before Taiwanese channels picked it up. An embarrassed Taiwanese Defense Ministry announced it would install anti-drone systems on its island outposts next year.

Taiwan’s Kinmen defense command angrily accused the Chinese of conducting “cognitive warfare” with their drone harassment and seeking to “denigrate” Taiwanese forces.

“The drone was flying on top of our soldiers on guard but there’s zero response,” complained senior DPP member Wang Ting-yu.