Taiwan’s defense budget, approved by parliament, turned out to be significantly smaller than the United States had hoped, prompting an official expression of disappointment from Washington. According to Glavkom, citing Reuters, the approved additional defense spending amounted to $25 billion, which is only about two-thirds of the initial package proposed by the government.
The U.S. believes this funding is insufficient to effectively strengthen the island’s defense capabilities amid a growing threat from China. A U.S. government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that the White House had expected full funding for the defense package.
“We are disappointed that some important elements have been left unfunded,” the official said, emphasizing that the United States would like to see full funding for the proposed package.
According to Reuters, Taiwan’s parliament is controlled by the opposition, which blocked the allocation of the full amount for military needs. This decision could affect the procurement of modern weapons, the modernization of the navy, and the implementation of certain military programs.
Taipei is now forced to set priorities, leaving some defense projects without funding. It should be noted that the United States has recently shown vulnerabilities in the conflict with Iran, and China is closely analyzing these issues as it prepares for a possible confrontation with the U.S. military.
