As military tensions continue to rise in the Taiwan Strait, the proposed central government budget for next year includes a military and defense expenditure of NT$647 billion (US$20.32 billion). Last year’s budget allocated about 2.38 percent of Taiwan’s GDP to defense, while this year’s budget allocates about 2.45 percent.
Several US experts have recommended on multiple occasions that Taiwan expand defense spending, such as former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien Jr who appealed to Taiwan to increase its defense spending.
Former US deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development Elbridge Colby’s assertion that Taiwan must substantially increase its defense budget has also been reported on and commented upon in the Taipei Times multiple times.
The defense spending accounts for 2.5 percent of GDP, it must be increased to at least 5 percent, Colby said, adding that if Taiwan cannot meet this standard, it should not hope for US support.
This issue presents the government with something of a dilemma. If it increases national defense spending by a large margin, it would face strong criticism from the opposition parties. However, if it cannot undertake a large increase or if defense spending does not reach at least 3 percent of GDP, then it would face skepticism from Washington. The government would face an impasse no matter which action it takes.
Taiwan must promptly increase its defense expenditure to prove to its international allies that it is serious about confronting military threats from China, Council on Foreign Relations fellow for Asia studies David Sacks said.
Twenty years ago, former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) proposed a defense spending goal of 3 percent of GDP, but administrations have failed to reach that goal, he added.
The defense budget is a national issue that spans across party lines — it must not be reduced to a political tool. In recent years, the growth of China’s military expenditure has surpassed that of its economy while it continues to exert military pressure on Taiwan. The nation must invest more resources into national defense, maintain deterrence capabilities and effectively stand up to its enemy. This is an issue of national safety that requires the cooperation of the ruling and opposition parties. The blue and white opposition “coalition” and the governing administration must negotiate pragmatically and discuss to reach consensus.
Regarding next year’s defense budget allocations, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said that the focus would be on aspects such as building up asymmetric combat abilities and increasing combat reserves.
Chinese Nationalist Party Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) on Sept. 9 visited the Hoover Institution, a think tank based at Stanford University in California, to meet with academics and exchange views on cross-strait relations and the regional situation. Chu clearly expressed his support for increasing Taiwan’s defense budget, saying he hopes its focus would be on asymmetric warfare, and systems and software to adapt to modernized combat demands.
That illustrates that the ruling and opposition parties already agree on the defense budget and the future direction of military growth. The Legislative Yuan should promptly complete its review and pass the proposed defense budget for next year — there is no room for further delay.
Yao Chung-yuan is a professor and former deputy director of the Ministry of National Defense’s strategic planning department.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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