In the face of heightened belligerence from the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan’s cabinet has proposed raising the military budget by some 5.6% over 2021 spending.
The country’s Legislative Yuan – its parliament – is examining the proposal.
The increases are in response to Chinese military activity such as air incursions into Taiwan’s airspace aimed at intimidating Taiwan and probing its defences.
Chinese aircraft made three such incursions last week.
The increased budget would be used to purchase, among other things, surveillance drones and precision munitions. Taiwan’s military planning is based on the idea of asymmetric war, which means using unconventional tactics and weapons to deal with a much more powerful adversary.
Alexander Huang, head of a military research group in Taiwan told Voice of America: ‘We don’t know whether the increased budget is for inventory or is based on an assessment that the possible conflict is not too far away.’
Meanwhile, a recent analysis published in Time magazine pointed out that Taiwan was concerned at the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and questioned US resolve to come to its aid. President Tsai Ing-wen remarked on Facebook shortly after the Taliban captured Kabul that ‘relying solely on the protection of others is not an option for us.’
It is unclear how the US would respond to a Chinese assault on Taiwan. Political support for the island democracy reportedly remains strong, and observers view the consequences to American prestige as well as its strategic position in allowing a Chinese seizure of Taiwan as more severe than the loss of Afghanistan.
[Photo: EPA-EFE]