Taiwan Lays Out Bigger, Bolder Defence Budget
Good day, fellow readers! Taiwan’s government has just dropped its plans for next year’s defence spending. They’re keeping the overall budget “modestly higher” but are dialling up the guns big time—spending a cool $1.44 billion (S$1.95 billion) on new fighter jets.
Why the Surge?
- China’s fighter‑jet fever: Beijing’s forces have been practicing “assault drills” near the island, treating Taiwan as a territory that should be brought under its control—by force if need be.
- Tsai Ing‑wen’s push: The presidential cabinet is proposing a defence budget of T$471.7 billion (S$22.8 billion) for the year starting in January—an increase from this year’s T$453.4 billion.
- F‑16 focus: Of that amount, T$40.1 billion is earmarked for new fighter jets. While specifics aren’t complete, it’s almost certainly pointing to more F‑16s.
How It Stack Up
According to Reuters calculations, the jump is smaller than the 10 percent increase the budget already had for this year. China, by comparison, aims a 6.8 percent raise for 2021 from the 2020 figures—a recovery from the pandemic‑driven slowdown.
Big Picture
- After the new defence budget, Taiwan’s expenditures are set to rank third, just after social welfare and a combined spend on education, science and culture.
- Parliament is a safe bet: Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party has a massive majority, so the approval process should be a walk in the park.
- Innovation is the name of the game—naming Taiwan a “porcupine” armed with high‑tech, mobile weapons. The goal? Making any potential Chinese invasion as messy and painful as a real porcupine plush toy.
So, while defences get a modest bump overall, let’s keep an eye on those big fighter jet investments—they’re the real power play in a region where every plane counts.