Taiwan Defence Officials Reject Opposition Plan to Cut Military Spending

Taiwan’s defence authorities have sharply criticized an opposition backed proposal to scale down planned military spending, warning that the plan would undermine the island’s defence readiness at a time of sustained pressure from Beijing. The proposal would significantly reduce the special defence budget and abandon plans for a layered air defence system designed to counter missile and aerial threats. Defence officials said the approach was not operationally viable and would limit Taiwan’s ability to maintain deterrence across multiple domains. The pushback comes as political divisions continue to stall passage of the special procurement bill, extending legislative deadlock and delaying funding decisions that military planners say are increasingly time sensitive.

The contested budget was intended to support a broad modernization effort over several years, including investments in air defence, long range precision strike, and battlefield resilience. Under the opposition proposal, the overall spending ceiling would be reduced sharply, and procurement narrowed to a limited set of weapons platforms focused on ground based firepower. Defence officials argue that such a framework ignores the evolving nature of regional threats, particularly the need for integrated air and missile defence as well as layered command and control systems. They also warned that abandoning key components of the original plan could weaken interoperability with partners and constrain Taiwan’s ability to absorb sustained military pressure.

The dispute highlights deeper tensions within Taiwan’s domestic politics over defence priorities, fiscal discipline, and threat assessment. While opposition lawmakers frame the proposal as a more focused and affordable approach, the defence ministry has emphasized that piecemeal procurement risks creating capability gaps rather than efficiencies. The legislative stalemate has already pushed debate into the next session, prolonging uncertainty for defence planners and international partners monitoring Taiwan’s preparedness. As cross strait tensions remain elevated, the episode underscores how internal political dynamics are becoming a critical variable in shaping Taiwan’s security posture alongside external military developments.