US urges Taiwan to pass comprehensive defence budget

The senior U.S. representative in Taiwan on Monday called on the island’s opposition-led parliament to approve a “comprehensive” defence budget, saying key systems are essential and difficult to secure amid strong global demand.

Raymond Greene, who heads the American Institute in Taiwan, made the appeal in an interview with Taiwan’s China Times as lawmakers continued negotiations over a supplemental spending package that has not yet passed the legislature.

Budget talks stall as parties seek more detail

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te last year proposed $40 billion in additional defence spending. The plan includes purchases of new U.S. weapons and domestically produced systems, including drones, as Taipei seeks to strengthen deterrence against China, which views the island as its own territory.

Lai has said only Taiwan’s people can decide the island’s future. Parliamentary discussions have remained stuck, with the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) saying it supports defence spending but does not want to approve what it described as “blank cheques” and is asking the government for more specifics.

Greene argued that passing a broad package is critical, both for the international signal it would send and for ensuring Taiwan can obtain the full set of capabilities it has requested.

Capabilities highlighted: air and missile defence, drones, HIMARS

Greene said the United States has already announced weapons sales to Taiwan that include the Lockheed Martin-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system. He added that Taiwan’s special defence budget also seeks integrated air and missile defence systems and drones, among other items.

Referring to fighting in the Middle East and Ukraine, Greene said these kinds of systems have proven critically important and are in extremely high demand worldwide. He said the sooner the special defence budget act is approved, the better.

Delivery-queue concerns and cross-strait sensitivity

Taiwan’s government has warned that delays could put the island at risk of losing its place in the production and delivery queue for U.S. weapons. The United States is Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier, and in December it unveiled an $11 billion arms package described as the largest ever for Taipei.

China has repeatedly demanded that the United States stop selling weapons to Taiwan.

Security warnings raised in parliament

In parliament on Monday, Defence Minister Wellington Koo said the threat Taiwan faces is not “random talk.” He cited Chinese warships spotted in recent days to the southwest of Taiwan’s Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait.

Lawmakers did not reach agreement on Monday, and the next talks are scheduled for May 6. The outcome and timing of any vote remain uncertain while negotiations continue.