China has staged its biggest-ever war games around the democratically-ruled island following a visit this month by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The trip angered Beijing, which saw it as an attempt by the US to interfere in China’s internal affairs. The overall defense budget proposed by President Tsai Ing-wen’s cabinet sets a 13.9 percent year-on-year increase to a record T$586.3 billion ($19.41 billion). Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register This includes an additional T$108.3 billion for fighter jets and other equipment, as well as “special funds” for the defense ministry. The General Directorate of Budget, Accounting and Statistics did not provide a specific breakdown of where the money will go. The planned defense spending, which is high and must be approved by parliament, marks the sixth consecutive year of increases in the island’s defense spending since 2017. The double-digit increase in 2022 marks a sharp increase compared to the increase in the island’s defense spending in recent years. Annual growth has been below 4% since 2017. Statistics Minister Chu Tzer-ming said the increase would mainly go to operating costs. “We always give security and national security the top priority … that’s why (the budget for) operational costs are increasing a lot,” Chu said, pointing to costs such as fuel and maintenance for aircraft and ships sent to deal with the of Chinese military activity near Taiwan. Taiwan’s defense ministry said in a statement that the budget took full account of the “enemy threat” and was equivalent to 2.4 percent of Taiwan’s projected GDP for next year. “In view of the continuous expansion of targeted military activities by the Chinese Communists in recent years and the normalized use of warships and military aircraft for raids and disruptions in Taiwan’s surrounding seas and airspace, the military adheres to the principle of preparing for war without pursues war and the defense of national security by force,” he said.
CHINESE DRILLS
Excluding the additional budget for military equipment and capital, proposed defense spending represents a 12.9 percent year-over-year increase, compared to a 20.8 percent increase in the total state budget proposed for next year. The proposed spending represents 14.6% of the government’s total spending next year and is the fourth largest item of spending, after social welfare and combined spending on education, science and culture and economic development. The island last year announced an additional defense budget of $8.69 billion through 2026, added to its annual military spending, mostly on naval weapons, including missiles and warships. In March, China said it would spend 7.1 percent more on defense this year, putting the figure at 1.45 trillion yuan ($211.62 billion), though many experts suspect that is not the true figure. , a claim disputed by the government. read more China continues its military activities near Taiwan, albeit on a reduced scale. Live-fire drills will be held in a coastal part of China’s Fujian province on Friday and Saturday, just north of the tiny Taiwanese-controlled Wuchiu Islands in the Taiwan Strait, Fujian authorities said Wednesday, declaring a no-shipping zone . Tsai has made modernizing the armed forces – well-armed but dwarfed by China’s – a priority. China is spending on advanced equipment, including stealth fighters and aircraft carriers, which Taiwan is trying to counter by putting more effort into weapons such as missiles that can hit far into its giant neighbor’s territory. China has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan rejects Beijing’s claims of sovereignty, saying the People’s Republic of China has never ruled the island and that only the Taiwanese people can decide its future. Meeting Japanese academics at her office on Thursday, Tsai reiterated that the determination to protect their sovereignty, freedom and democracy will not change “due to pressure or threats”. “At the same time, as a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will not cause incidents or escalate conflicts,” Tsai said. ($1 = 30.2080 Taiwan dollars) ($1 = 6.8519 Chinese Yuan ) Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard. Edited by Himani Sarkar and Gerry Doyle Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
