As global political landscapes shift, Taiwan faces increasingly grave security threats. From the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in Europe to the tense situation between Israel and Iran in the Middle East, and the issues in the Taiwan Strait in East Asia, these international conflicts not only highlight the potential risks of military conflicts, but also underscore the urgent need for Taiwan to bolster its defense budget to deter potential wars.
GLOBAL PICTURE
As a global military superpower, the US’ attention and defense resources are dispersed across multiple fronts. From supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression to addressing the tense Iran-Israel situation in the Middle East, the US is forced to distribute its military resources globally. These developments mean that Taiwan cannot overly depend on foreign assistance and needs to enhance its own defense capabilities.
Additionally, coordination and cooperation between China, Russia, North Korea and Iran has become an evident threat to Taiwan, with North Korea providing military supplies to Russia and China’s support with drones. These actions not only exacerbate regional instability, but also pose a direct threat to Taiwan’s security.
Furthermore, Taiwan must remain vigilant and learn from other countries in the face of global conflict. For example, Ukraine’s defense budget as a percentage of its GDP was about 3 percent before the war broke out, suddenly spiking to 33 percent following the Russian invasion. This underscores the importance of pre-emptively increasing the defense budget. Taiwan should learn from Ukraine and gradually increase its defense budget in accordance with the perceived threat level, ensuring it possesses adequate defense and deterrence capabilities before any crisis unfolds.
A NEW APPROACH
Taiwan’s defense strategy should be comprehensive, not only including increasing traditional military expenditures, but also enhancing capabilities in intelligence sharing and resource coordination. In new strategic areas such as technology and cyberwarfare, breakthroughs are needed. As professor Yasuhiro Matsuda from the University of Tokyo stated: “If you believe it, there won’t be any; if you don’t, there will be.”
His statement was in regard to a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait, highlighting that rigorous defense preparation is the best strategy to avoid war.
Taiwan must immediately review and increase its defense budget, especially in the face of global conflicts and tense geopolitical dynamics. Strengthening the defense forces is not only a necessary measure to ensure national security, but also a duty we owe to ourselves.
If allies are able to assist us by providing resources, it would be greatly beneficial. However, without sufficient local investment, it would be challenging to convince the world of the nation’s readiness. It might also convey to the People’s Republic of China that the resolve of Taiwanese is insufficient.
Our investment today determines our future.
Chen Kuan-ting is a member of the Foreign and National Defense Committee at the Legislative Yuan representing Chiayi County Constituency 2. He was formerly the special assistant to the DPP chairperson and President Tsai Ing-wen, the chief executive officer of Taiwan NextGen Foundation, a researcher in the National Development Council, and also an adjunct lecturer at Tamkang University’s Department of Diplomacy and International Relations.
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