Taiwan: Govt proposes to spend more than 19 billion dollars in defence
In Taiwan, the government has proposed more than 19 billion dollars in defence spending for next year.
The overall proposed defence budget proposed by President Tsai Ing-wen’s Cabinet sets a 13.9 per cent year-on-year increase to a record 19.41 billion dollars. It includes funds for new fighter jets, weeks after China staged large-scale war games around the island.
Statistics department minister Chu Tzer-ming said the increase in defence spending will mainly go to operational costs.
The planned defence spending, which is a record high and must be approved by parliament, marks the island’s sixth consecutive year of growth in defence spending since 2017.
China carried out its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan after a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
