Defense budget reasonable: LaiWOLF AT THE DOOR: The proposed special defense budget is reasonable, even modest compared to countries like Japan or South Korea’s annual defense budgetsBy Huang Cheng-chia, Li Wen-hsin and William Hetherington / Staff reporters, with staff writerThe Executive Yuan’s proposal to allocate NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.3 billion) for defense over eight years is reasonable, especially compared with the defense budgets of Japan and South Korea, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Speaking during a visit to Jieyun Temple (接雲寺) in New Taipei City, Lai compared increased defense spending to installing security systems at home to prevent burglaries. With a “bad neighbor” like China, strengthening national defense is essential, he said, calling on the public to unite in safeguarding national security. The Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee is widely seen by the ruling and opposition camps as a key battleground, as it reviews issues related to US-Taiwan tariffs and the proposed special defense budget. During the previous four legislative sessions, the committee comprised six DPP lawmakers, five KMT lawmakers and one TPP lawmaker.

Source: Taipei Times March 08, 2026 17:14 UTC