US expects Taiwan to increase defense spending
US expects Taiwan to increase defense spending
2025-04-11
The Trump administration is expected to be very tough with Taiwan as it mounts pressure on the country to increase defense spending. Elbridge Colby, Trump’s under secretary of defense for policy, has even recently said it should be 10% of Taiwan’s GDP. This contrasts with President Lai Ching-te’s recent promise to push it to just over 3%. However, in good news for Taiwan, a former American de facto ambassador says the 10% of GDP figure is not realistic, and another former US defense official says while there were American worries in the past that Taiwan was too complacent about its defense spending, he’s noted the DPP government is now getting serious. Let’s hear what everyone had to say.
In response to expected US pressure to spend more on defense, the government is preparing to increase military procurements that will raise this year’s defense budget to over 3% of GDP. Although this is lower than the 10% expected by US Pentagon officials, former AIT Director William Brent Christensen bluntly said not to put too much weight on the numbers.
William Brent Christensen
Former AIT Director
I don’t think we need to get too fixated on what percentage of GDP is being spent on this. They’ll never get 10%. That’s not realistic. Taiwan’s spending on defense probably does not include expenses that are being devoted to civil defense, the whole resilience program, it is pretty much is part of the overall defense strategy that Taiwan’s founding.
A former American defense official also admitted that the U.S. had doubts about Taiwan’s attitude to its self-defense in the past, but these doubts were gradually dissipating.
Derek James Mitchell
Former US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
I think there are folks here in the United States over the years who have been concerned that Taiwan has not been serious enough about its defense. There’s been complacency: Well, the Americans will take care of it or the Americans will come to our defense on the one hand, or it’s just not going to happen. I think the DPP is serious. I think they’re now getting serious.
Derek James Mitchell, a former American defense official, believes that the US must speed up delivery of American weaponry that’s already been ordered. Local experts echo his views.
Su Tzu-yun
Institute for National Defense and Security Research
Combat systems including air defense missiles, anti-ship missiles, and even drones will constitute the main investments, because they are low-priced, highly efficient, and are particularly suitable for defensive operations. If the direction of investment in our military build up can be even more in accordance with this, then Taiwan will have sufficient power to stop a PRC invasion.
Taiwan’s army is adopting a multi-pronged approach to strengthen its combat capabilities in response to increasingly severe cross-strait tensions.
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曾憂台灣防衛不夠認真 前美國防官員:執政黨開始認真看待
2025-04-11
應對美國對等關稅，政府計畫加大對美軍購，總統賴清德也喊出國防預算要提高到GDP3%。儘管美國防部政策次長柯伯吉，在聽證會上希望的10%有落差，但前AIT處長酈英傑認為不用太在意數字，甚至說那不務實。前美國防部官員則認為，過去美方確實對台灣防衛決心有質疑，但執政黨正視問題做出改變，這些聲音已經逐漸消失。
因應美國對等關稅政策，政府準備加大軍事採購，要把國防預算提升到GDP3%，雖然與美國五角大廈官員期待的10%有落差，但前AIT處長酈英傑直言，不用太在意數字。
[[前AIT處長 酈英傑]]
“我認爲不必過於專注在國防預算，占多少GDP多少，台灣永遠不會達到10%，這不切實際，台灣防衛支出，包含民間防衛，強化全社會韌性等項目，是整體防衛戰略一部分，但可能沒被納入整體國防預算之中”
美國防部前官員也不諱言，美方過去對於台灣自我防衛態度有質疑，但這些聲音已逐漸消失。
[[前美國防部亞太事務首席副助理部長 米德偉]]
“我認為多年來在美國，有些人擔心臺灣在國防方面不夠認真，人們自滿認爲美國會處理好這件事，包括防衛台灣，或者戰爭這件事根本不會發生，我認爲民進黨是認真看待這些事的，他們現在開始認真起來了”
米德偉認為美方必須加緊腳步，盡快交付對台軍售訂單，國內專家呼應這個看法。
[[國防院國防戰略與資源所長 蘇紫雲]]
“包括防空飛彈，反艦飛彈，乃至於無人機這些作戰系統，會是一個投資的主力，因為它具有低價還有高效的一個特性，特別適合防衛作戰使用，如果在投資的建軍方向可以更合宜的話，那麼台灣是有足夠力量，阻擋共軍的入侵”
國軍多管齊下強化戰力，應對日漸嚴峻的台海情勢。
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