Taiwan KMT’s $15 Billion Defense Cuts Strip Drones and T-Dome Funding
New details of Taiwan’s defense vote show about $15 billion was cut from President Lai Ching-te’s broader military plan, including funding for 210,000 drones, the T-Dome missile system and all joint Taiwan-US research and development. The reductions leave the package that passed the KMT-led parliament focused on US weapons purchases rather than a wider push to build domestic defense capacity.
Lawmakers earlier approved a NT$780 billion ($24.9 billion) special defense framework after reducing Lai’s proposal by more than a third. The law sets spending ceilings through December 2033 rather than appropriating the money immediately; earlier disclosures said NT$300 billion would fund US arms sales notified in December, including Paladin self-propelled howitzers, HIMARS launchers and Javelin and TOW-2B missiles, while NT$480 billion would be available for additional US sales. The US State Department has criticized the move as “a concession to the CCP.”
From the sources (10 posts)
@firstsquawkTAIWAN APPROVES A NT$780 BILLION SPECIAL DEFENSE BUDGET TO DETER CHINA.
@businessTaiwanese lawmakers approved a special defense budget intended to help the democracy build a state-of-the-art system to counter aerial threats from China
@businessTaiwanese lawmakers have approved a special defense budget proposed by President Lai Ching-te that is intended to help the democracy build a state-of-the-art system to counter aerial threats from China. Read more: 📷
@polymarketJUST IN: Taiwan approves $25 billion in funding for U.S. arms purchases.
@e_durneikaNot as low as Cheng was pushing for, but not as high as President Lai's budget either. Some key items that are missing: Funding for TW’s drone program, TW-US co-development, and military production expansion. China wants a TW that isn’t ab
@reutersUS concerned by Taiwan defence delay 'concession' to China
@faytuksnetworkTaiwan’s KMT-led parliament on Friday voted to cut President Lai Ching-te’s proposed defence funding by more than a third, days before an expected summit between Presidents Trump & Xi.
@reutersUS concerned by Taiwan defence delay 'concession' to China
@trenttelenkoRT @aadilbrar: 🇹🇼 Taiwan's KMT just cut $15B from Lai's defense budget — including 210K drones, the T-Dome missile system, and all joint T…
@aadilbrar🇹🇼 Taiwan's KMT just cut $15B from Lai's defense budget — including 210K drones, the T-Dome missile system, and all joint Taiwan-US R&D. What's left: US weapons only. No indigenous defense. No self-reliance. The US State Dept called it "