Taiwan must heed calls to share responsibility for ‘collective defence’

Taiwan must heed international calls to share the responsibility for “collective defence”, President Lai Ching-te said on Friday, appealing for parliamentary support for new spending on drones.
While Taiwan’s government has prioritised drones and other asymmetric systems, in May the opposition-dominated parliament passed only two-thirds of the T$1.25 trillion ($38.69 billion) in extra defence spending Lai had asked for, earmarking funds only for U.S. arms.
The government has now proposed a new, T$210 billion package for surveillance, coastal attack and small surface drones to the end of 2031. Taiwan’s opposition parties are pushing their own drone spending plans.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to government arms contractor the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology in the central city of Taichung, Lai said Chinese pressure on Taiwan has become increasingly intense.