Taiwan president says defence spending boost aims to ‘deter war’

What the report says

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te used his National Day address in Taipei to frame a planned rise in defence spending as a way to prevent conflict, according to Al Jazeera. Speaking outside the Presidential Office before thousands of attendees, including foreign diplomats, he said Taiwan values peace and freedom but will not accept subordination or tolerate pressure from across the Taiwan Strait.

Lai said the island is willing to keep communication open, while arguing that increased defence investment is meant to deter war rather than provoke it. He also accused China of maintaining military and “grey-zone” pressure aimed at changing the status quo. The article notes that grey-zone activity refers to coercive actions below the level of open warfare.

Al Jazeera reported that Lai’s government has earmarked a record 1.1 trillion New Taiwan dollars, or about $34.5bn, for defence in 2027, representing more than 3 percent of GDP. The speech came amid continued tensions with Beijing, which regards Taiwan as part of China and has rejected Lai’s outreach for talks.

The article adds that the National Day events included military aircraft and helicopters flying over the capital, and that Taiwan is still awaiting a U.S. decision on a proposed $14bn weapons package. The broader significance is that the speech reflects Taipei’s effort to balance deterrence, diplomacy and growing security pressure in the region.