US$10bn pending for defense: expertsBy Aaron Tu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan might soon acquire Aegis-equipped warships or other in-demand weapons systems if reports are accurate that the US Congress plans to authorize US$10 billion of military aid to Taiwan, Taiwanese defense experts said. In Taipei, a defense official said on condition of anonymity that information about specific items is classified, adding that Taiwan continues to exchange views about its force planning with the US. Photo: ReutersTaipei and Washington should carefully consider which weapons Taiwan needs that cannot be developed or obtained independently, Institute for National Defense and Security Research analyst Shu Hsiao-huang (舒孝煌) said. Defence International editor Chen Kuo-ming (陳國銘) said the significance of the reported increase in US military aid can be inferred from its scale, given that US aid to Ukraine is US$18 billion. The dramatic boost in aid also suggests that Washington believes that the risks confronting Taiwan are extremely high, he added.
