This Wednesday, in its rearmament strategy against the threat from China, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te announced a special budget of $40 billion for the purchase of weapons and for the construction of T-Dome, a new dome-shaped air defense system.
Taiwan has returned to the forefront of the geopolitical map in the Asia-Pacific region. It was Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi who brought the focus back to the self-governing island when she suggested earlier this month that the Japanese military could intervene to protect Taipei in case of a Chinese attack. This sparked a diplomatic crisis between Beijing and Tokyo, with reminders from the Asian giant that the "reunification", by force if necessary, of all Mandarin-speaking territories is inevitable.
On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and American Donald Trump had a phone conversation in which they discussed -for the first time this year- the situation in Taiwan. Xi stated that the return of the island to Chinese sovereignty is an essential component of the current international order, while Trump made no public mention in defense of Taiwanese democracy.
Although not publicly acknowledged, there is concern among Taiwanese leaders about the traditional American defense umbrella. Unlike the previous Joe Biden administration, Trump has not publicly committed to militarily defend Taipei in case of a Chinese invasion.
Washington has been pressuring the island for months to increase its military spending. Taiwan announced an increase in defense budget to 5% of GDP (by 2030), far from the demands of its main ally.
The Defense budget announced now will boost the Taiwanese shield T-Dome, which will be equipped with a multi-layer system to detect and intercept missiles, drones, and military aircraft. Some analysts compare it to Israel's system, the Iron Dome, which has intercepted thousands of missiles fired by Hamas and other militant groups, such as Hezbollah, in the last two years. "Taiwan will weave a security net to protect its citizens", said Lai in October when he unveiled the plan to build the defense dome.
"China's threats to Taiwan are increasing," stated the Taiwanese leader on Wednesday. "Recently, there have been various types of military intrusions, gray-zone maritime areas, and disinformation campaigns in Japan, the Philippines, and around the Taiwan Strait, causing deep concern and distress to all parties in the region."
The announced $40 billion is in addition to the military budget allocation for next year. Trump has urged Taipei to increase its defense spending to 10% of GDP, a proportion much higher than what the United States or any of its main Western or Asian allies spend.
"We will use the new special budget to purchase more precision attack missiles and develop more Defense equipment and systems," explained Taiwanese Defense Minister Wellington Koo.
"By buying weapons and cozying up to external powers, they are wasting funds that could be used to improve people's living conditions and develop the economy," responded Beijing spokespeople from the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Wednesday.
"This is not an ideological struggle, nor a debate of unification versus independence. It is a fight to defend a democratic Taiwan and refuse to become China's Taiwan," emphasized President Lai, who once again rejected China's offer for Taiwanese democracy to operate under a system identical to that of Hong Kong, where a series of broader freedoms than those on the mainland would be guaranteed, but the Executive would be controlled by Beijing at all times.
Hours after President Lai's announcement of the additional defense budget increase, Beijing once again warned that any "foreign interference" in Taiwan will be "crushed". This referred to another statement from Japan this week revealing its plans to deploy missiles on Yonaguni, a Japanese island located 110 kilometers off the Taiwanese east coast, which has hosted a military base since 2016.
"The deployment of offensive weapons by Japan in areas adjacent to the Chinese region of Taiwan is extremely dangerous and could lead to a military confrontation," said Peng Qingen, a Chinese spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office. In contrast, Taipei welcomed Japan's announcement, stating that the possible deployment of missiles on Yonaguni "helps maintain security in the Taiwan Strait."