taipei, taiwan– The United States supports efforts by the Taiwan government to pass $40 billion special defense budget A group of visiting US lawmakers in Taipei on Monday said it was being blocked in the opposition-controlled Parliament.
A bipartisan group of four senators arrived in Taiwan as part of an Asia trip aimed at strengthening US alliances and countering China’s influence in the region. meeting The plan was made between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in May.
Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire) and Jacky Rosen (Nevada) and Republican Senators John Curtis (Utah) and Thom Tillis (North Carolina) met with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Monday at the start of a two-day visit focused on strengthening the two sides’ informal ties.
China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own separate province that it would take back by force if necessary and has barred all its diplomatic partners, including the US, from maintaining formal ties with Taipei.
The US does not recognize Taiwan as a country, but is the island’s strongest unofficial supporter and arms provider.
Large scale US arms sales The Xi-Trump summit is expected to discuss Taiwan, with China pushing against the sale.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson criticized the congressional visit on Monday, and urged the US to “handle the Taiwan issue judiciously and appropriately, stop all forms of official exchanges with Taiwan, and stop sending any wrong signals to Taiwan independence separatist forces.”
“China’s position on the Taiwan-related issue is consistent and clear,” spokesman Mao Ning said. “China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
During the meeting with Lai, Curtis praised Taiwan’s “progress in strengthening its defense, preparedness of society as a whole, and energy security, especially in the last year.”
“The seriousness in Washington DC has been seen and your efforts on the special defense budget have also been seen and supported,” he said.
Taiwan’s government is trying to push forward a special defense budget of $40 billion that will be invested in building a sophisticated missile defense system called “T-Dome” over eight years, integrating artificial intelligence into national defense, and developing Taiwan’s indigenous defense industry.
The budget is currently stalled in Parliament, with opposition parties proposing a smaller defense budget.
Lai called on Parliament to pass the special defense budget “without delay”.
“I want to assure you and all of our friends in the United States that my government’s resolve and commitment to enhancing our self-defense capabilities, strengthening Taiwan-US cooperation, and ensuring national security will remain unwavering,” he told visiting lawmakers.
Opposition leader, KMT Chairman Cheng Li-wun, said on Monday she would visit China next month in an effort to promote “peaceful” relations with Beijing. Cheng had previously expressed interest in meeting with Xi, though it was not clear whether a meeting with the Chinese leader was on the agenda for his visit.
Beijing has refused to talk to Lai and labeled him a separatist who wants to turn Taiwan into a “powder keg”.
