U.S. lawmakers urge opposition to approve special defense budget

Washington/Taipei, Feb. 13 (CNA) A group of U.S. lawmakers from both chambers of Congress on Thursday wrote to Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and several political party leaders, calling on them to support the funding for Taiwan's special defense budget.

The bipartisan letter, signed by Republican Senator Pete Ricketts, Democratic Senator Chris Coons and Republican Representative Young Kim, was also addressed to Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus convener Ko Chien-ming (柯建銘).

In their letter, the U.S. lawmakers wrote that "the threat posed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) against Taiwan has never been greater," and that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is focusing every element of the PRC's national power to control Taiwan.

"Xi hopes to achieve this through illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions that undermine Taiwan's will to resist," they warned, citing the People's Liberation Army (PLA) large-scale exercises in October 2024, April 2025 and December 2025, which demonstrated its growing preparations for a blockade or invasion of Taiwan as examples.

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The U.S. lawmakers said that in response to the worsening threat environment, both the United States and Taiwan must do more to deter PRC aggression, highlighting that Washington needs to do its part to address the massive backlog in weapons deliveries to Taiwan.

"Likewise, we need Taiwan to step up with us," they said, expressing concern that the Legislative Yuan may approve only part of a special budget request to enhance Taiwan's defensive capabilities.

While praising Taiwan for making important progress in strengthening its military readiness, reserve forces, and asymmetric defense capabilities, the lawmakers warned that without significant increases in defense spending at levels reflected in President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) proposed special budget, this progress will be insufficient.

The U.S. lawmakers noted that while they understood legislators must ensure taxpayers' money is used effectively, "we also have the responsibility to fund our militaries at levels that address the critical threats we face."

The letter was co-signed by more than 30 members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Late last year, Taiwan's Cabinet proposed a NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.5 billion) special defense budget for 2026-2033 to strengthen Taiwan's defense resilience and asymmetric capabilities. However, the Legislative Yuan has repeatedly blocked its review since Lai announced it in November.

Backed by the main opposition KMT, the smaller TPP proposed its own version of a national defense special act on Jan. 30, which caps arms spending at NT$400 billion through 2033, and requires that funding be allotted on a yearly basis.

Responding to the letter, KMT Legislator and Spokesperson Niu Hsu-ting (牛煦庭) said in Taipei on Friday that the party respects the U.S. lawmakers' concerns over Taiwan's defense and has communicated clearly on the matter with the central government.

Niu said the KMT will respond to U.S. expectations, but it will not compromise on overseeing the budget process.

Meanwhile, the TPP caucus said the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign, independent country and that defense policies and budget reviews must follow democratic procedures.

The party also said it values Washington's long-standing friendship with Taiwan and appreciates bipartisan congressional support for its security.

Separately, DPP legislative caucus leader Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) said the letter signaled that the U.S. expects Taiwan to take responsibility for its own defense.

Recently, two major issues have come into focus: tariff negotiations with the U.S. and arms purchases, Chung said, adding that U.S. political circles now broadly hold that countries dealing with the U.S. must not only ensure reciprocal trade but also take responsibility for maintaining regional security in their own territories.