Taipei: Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te emphasized today that Taiwan's efforts to defend its security and reject Chinese Communist Party rule should not be interpreted as provocative actions. He expressed hope that the U.S. government would soon approve a new arms sale to Taiwan.
According to Thai News Agency, President Lai addressed the Foreign Correspondents Club of Taiwan in Taipei, where he reiterated Taiwan's desire to engage in dialogue with China based on equality and dignity. He affirmed Taiwan's legitimate right to protect its interests and urged Chinese authorities to avoid using military force against Taiwan.
Concerns were raised in Taiwan following comments by U.S. President Donald Trump last month after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Trump indicated he was still deliberating on whether to approve a new arms sale proposal to Taiwan. Despite this uncertainty, President Lai affirmed that the U.S. security commitment to Taiwan remains unchanged, and Taiwan will continue to maintain close communication with the U.S. government.
In response to President Trump's calls for allies to increase military spending, President Lai previously supported increasing Taiwan's defense budget. However, Taiwan's parliament, led by the opposition party, recently approved only two-thirds of the proposed defense budget of approximately 1.38 trillion baht (US$40 billion), with reductions in funds initially allocated for drone programs and domestically produced weapons.