Taiwan’s reluctance — particularly by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) — to prioritize adequate defense spending could erode US support and risk casting Taiwan as a liability rather than an asset, a former White House official said.
Alexander B. Gray, deputy assistant to the president and chief of staff of the US National Security Council during US President Donald Trump’s first administration, made the remarks in an article published on Saturday in The Diplomat.
In the piece, titled “America’s Support for Taiwan Is at a Critical Juncture,” Gray wrote that the strength of the Taiwan-US partnership — long a cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region — is being tested by “shifting perceptions in Washington” and “a growing sense of urgency about the military balance across the Taiwan Strait.”
Photo: Taipei Times
“After three decades of global overcommitment, Americans are increasingly questioning the cost and necessity of seemingly distant obligations. This fatigue is compounded by a growing perception that Taiwan, compared to other frontline states like Ukraine and Israel, is not sufficiently serious about its own defense,” Gray wrote.
“Fair or not, this perception is a dangerous undercurrent that threatens to erode bipartisan support in Washington, including in a Republican Party traditionally committed to Taiwan’s defense,” he wrote. “For Taiwan to remain a US priority, it must address this skepticism head-on and tangibly demonstrate it is willing to bear the burdens of its own security.”
Gray criticized the KMT for resisting increases in defense spending by freezing certain programs, saying it has raised concerns in Washington and signaled to the US and adversaries that Taiwan is “not fully committed to its own survival,” adding that such reluctance could erode long-term US support for Taiwan’s defense.
The military gap between Taiwan and China continues to widen, while Taiwan’s defense spending “remains woefully insufficient” despite gradual increases in the past few years, he said.
Taiwan allocated about US$19 billion to defense last year — about 2.5 percent of GDP — compared with China’s defense budget of nearly US$240 billion, Gray said.
However, given China’s advantage in warships, fighter jets and missiles, military experts are questioning whether Taiwan could hold out long enough before US forces arrive, he said.
“Taiwan must invest in asymmetric capabilities, like drones, air defenses, and anti-ship missiles, to deter China’s overwhelming conventional forces,” he wrote. “At the same time, it must modernize its aging military hardware, enhance and extend training for its reservists, address its manpower retention problems, and fortify critical infrastructure against cyberattacks and blockades, which were identified in Taiwan’s Quadrennial Defense Review as persistent issues.”
“These steps are not optional; they are the bare minimum to demonstrate to the US ... that Taiwan is a credible partner capable of holding the line. Without a clear commitment to closing the military gap, Taiwan risks being seen as a liability rather than an asset in Washington’s strategic calculus,” he said.
KMT spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu yesterday said data showed that the Democratic Progressive Party during its legislative majority from 2016 to last year reduced a larger share of defense budgets each year than any other party.
By contrast, the KMT cut the least over the past eight years, reducing defense spending by just 1.01 percent this year, she said.
Last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said that strengthening national defense has always been the party’s unwavering position.
The KMT aims to reduce the risk of cross-strait conflict and ensure public security through both stronger defenses and effective dialogue — what he called the party’s “double D” strategy.
The party fully supports this year’s special national defense budget, particularly funds for major procurements, bolstering homeland defense resilience and enhancing social security preparedness, he said.
These allocations could raise defense spending above 3 percent of GDP, and potentially as high as 3.5 percent, he added.
Additional reporting by Lin Hsin-han
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