U.S. welcomes Taiwan's NT$1.25 trillion defense spending plan

Washington, Nov. 26 (CNA) The United States government said Wednesday that it welcomed Taiwan's plan to allocate US$40 billion for a special defense budget to boost its self-defense capabilities.

"We welcome Taiwan's announcement of a new US$40 billion special defense procurement budget," a U.S. State Department spokesperson told CNA when asked to comment on President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) announcement earlier in the day of the plan to sharply increase investment in the country's self-defense.

"Consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act and more than 45 years of commitment across multiple U.S. administrations, the United States supports Taiwan's acquisition of critical defense capabilities, commensurate with the threat it faces," said the spokesperson, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"We also welcome the Lai administration's recent commitments to increase defense spending to at least 3 percent of GDP by 2026 and 5 percent of GDP by 2030, which demonstrates resolve to strengthen Taiwan's self-defense capabilities," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, two senior members of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday also lauded Lai's pledge to invest heavily in Taiwan's security.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said he was "pleased" to see the planned defense budget increases announced by President Lai.

"Taiwan is a strong and reliable partner to America, and this decision is an important step in ensuring peace and stability in the region," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Democratic Party Congressman Gregory W. Meeks, a ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also commended President Lai "for taking Taiwan's self-defense seriously."

"These investments will boost deterrence and bolster peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," Meeks wrote on X.

Lai first disclosed his proposal for the special budget in a Washington Post op-ed piece published on Tuesday (U.S. time), and a few hours later the president made a formal announcement of the plan at a news conference in Taipei.

Lai's proposal followed repeated calls by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration for Washington's partners around the world, including Taiwan, to increase defense spending.

Taiwan's proposed US$40 billion supplementary defense budget will be spent over a period of eight years, from 2026 to 2033, according to the Ministry of National Defense.