Foreign lawmakers urge Taiwan to boost its defenseStaff writer, with CNATaiwan must first strengthen its own national defense to deter a potential invasion by China as cross-strait tensions continue to rise, multiple European lawmakers said on Friday. In a media interview in Taipei marking the conclusion of an eight-member European parliamentary delegation’s six-day visit to Taiwan, the lawmakers urged Taipei to remain vigilant and increase defense spending. Soboliev called on Taiwan to prevent third parties from transferring sensitive technologies to Russia and stressed the urgency of boosting defense spending. Pavilionis emphasized the importance of achieving domestic consensus on defense spending, describing it as an “existential issue” for Taiwan. “Unity is the key,” he said, adding that common adversaries of Taiwan and European democracies would exploit internal divisions.

Source: Taipei Times February 07, 2026 17:15 UTC