TAIWAN UNVEILS $40 BLN DEFENCE BOOST — President vows sovereignty “cannot be violated or annexed”
President Lai Ching-te said today that Taiwan will introduce a $40-billion supplementary defence budget to underscore its determination to defend itself.
As Taiwan faces calls from Washington to spend more on its own defence, Lai said in August he hoped for a boost in defence spending to 5% of gross domestic product by 2030.
Unveiling the $39.89 billion package, Lai said history had proven that trying to compromise in the face of aggression brought nothing but “enslavement”.
During a news conference in the presidential office, Lai, who stated that Taiwan’s sovereignty cannot be violated or annexed, and that the future of the Republic of Taiwan will be decided by the 23 million people of Taiwan, further added that this present status quo must be defended.
