Taiwan lawmakers approve $7.6 billion drone budget
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Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan approved a $7.6 billion (NT$240 billion) budget on Thursday to bolster the island's domestic drone manufacturing over the next six years. The proposal, backed by the opposition parties Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), superseded a plan submitted by President Lai Ching-te’s government. KMT lawmaker Hsu Chiao-hsin stated the funding aims to encourage local production, ensure cybersecurity, and support non-Chinese supply chains. This shift in military strategy is intended to address China's ongoing grey-zone activities and improve Taiwan's asymmetric warfare capabilities.
Consequences
The increased budget will integrate drone and counter-drone development into Taiwan's annual general budget process rather than a separate, ministry-overseen special budget. This move reflects Taiwan’s ongoing commitment to increasing its defense spending, which is projected to reach over three percent of GDP by 2027 to address pressure from Washington and deter potential aggression from Beijing.
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