U.S. Concerned by Taiwan Defense Delay ‘Concession’ to China

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te speaking with journalists at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei. Photo by YU CHEN CHENG / AFP
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te speaking with journalists at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei. Photo by YU CHEN CHENG / AFP

Further delays to Taiwan’s military spending are a “concession” to China, the U.S. State Department said, as Taipei’s defense ministry detailed the impact of projects excluded from a package passed by the opposition-controlled parliament.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te had sought $40 billion in supplementary defense spending to better deter China, which views the democratically governed island as its own territory and has stepped up its military pressure.

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by Reuters

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