President William Lai (賴清德) today announced the government is to propose a special national defense budget by the end of this year that includes funds for a “T-Dome” air defense system in his keynote Double Ten National Day speech.
Taiwan’s defense spending is to exceed 3 percent of GDP next year and reach 5 percent by 2030 to show its determination to safeguard the nation, Lai said.
The increase in defense spending is to counter enemy threats and would be a driving force for developing the nation's defense industry, he said
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
The new budget aims to achieve three major goals, he said.
The first would be to accelerate the building of a “T-Dome” rigorous air defense system in Taiwan with multi-layer defense, high-level detection and effective interception, he said.
Second, the government intends to continue the integration of high-tech and artificial intelligence technologies to build a "smart" defense combat system, maximizing effective deterrence for Taiwan’s asymmetric strategy, he said.
Third, the government is to invest in innovative defense technologies and collaborate with the defense industries of advanced nations to bolster Taiwan’s defense capabilities, he said.
Taiwan is to strengthen its domestic supply chain through local research and development, design and manufacturing, he added.
This would enable Taiwan to accelerate industry upgrades, enhance the resilience of its military equipment and boost the capacity of its military industries, he said.
Taiwan would become a trusted partner of its friends and allies to jointly avoid the “red supply chain” and foster trust in defense among free and democratic countries, while building a robust line of defense to safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, he said.
“We are determined to maintain peace through strength,” he said.
In his speech, Lai urged the world not to forget the lessons of World War II, as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of war.
Authoritarianism continues to expand and the international order faces severe challenges, he said.
Regional order in the Taiwan Strait, the East Sea, the South China Sea and the security of the entire first island chain are under serious threat, he said.
Democratic Taiwan is a crucial link for the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region and is a responsible member of the international community, he said.
As such, Taiwan is to work to uphold the “status quo,” ensure peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and promote prosperous development of the region, he said.
“We look forward to the day when China takes responsibility as a major power and ceases distortion of the UN Resolution 2758 and historical World War II documents,” he said.
He said he hopes China would renounce the use of force or coercion to change the “status quo” across the Taiwan Strait, so that both sides can jointly maintain regional peace and stability.
“We should learn from the lessons of World War II and ensure the tragedies of history are never repeated,” he said. “The outcomes of that conflict tell us that aggression fails, unity prevails."
Lai also noted that this year is a historic year for Taiwan’s democratization.
As of Sept. 10, the number of days Taiwan has spent free from martial law officially surpassed the number of days endured under its stifling rule, he said.
This signifies that Taiwan has parted entirely from the shadow of an authoritarian regime and has ushered in a democratic future full of hope, he said.
“We will not forget the blood and tears of those who united to defend against aggression, nor will we forget the sacrifices of past generations in pursuit of democracy and freedom, returning sovereignty to the people,” he said.
Taiwan is a beacon of democracy in Asia for everyone who is living in the darkness of authoritarian rule, he said.
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