Taiwan's political divisions weaken defence stance as Trump returns

The move, backed by the opposition, comes at a time when Taiwan is navigating strained relations with the United States under Trump's transactional approach to foreign policy. Critics warn that this decision could jeopardise Taiwan's military reforms and send negative signals to Washington.

Taiwan, a major semiconductor producer and democratically governed territory, faces constant threats from China, which claims the island as part of its territory. Despite never having governed Taiwan, Beijing continues to vow reunification, by force if necessary. The United States has been Taiwan's main arms supplier and strategic partner, but Trump's "America First" policy has heightened fears about whether Washington will continue its support without greater financial contributions from Taipei.

The opposition-led vote to block funding comes as Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te struggles with a parliament dominated by opposition forces. Critics argue that this budget freeze could weaken Taiwan's Defence capabilities and damage its credibility with the US "If there is not enough budget to consistently improve Taiwan's defence reforms and capabilities, the international community will doubt Taiwan's determination to defend ourselves," Lai said in a Facebook post. The frozen funds impact key projects, including the development of indigenous submarines and drones.

Taiwan's Premier Cho Jung-tai strongly condemned the opposition's actions, calling them "suicidal" and warning that they send "the wrong signal to the United States." Defence Minister Wellington Koo echoed these concerns, emphasising that the freeze could undermine Taiwan's military modernisation efforts. Trump, known for his criticism of Taiwan's defence spending, previously called for the island to increase its defence allocation to 10 per cent of GDP - a fourfold increase from its current levels.

Taiwan's defence spending has faced scrutiny even before Trump's return. A backlog of more than USD 20 billion in undelivered US military equipment has hampered Taiwan's modernisation efforts. Concerns have also been raised about Taiwan's reliance on asymmetric warfare strategies, which prioritise smaller, more mobile systems like drones and portable missiles over conventional military equipment.

Defence experts argue that while progress has been made, much more needs to be done to counter the growing threat from China, which has the world's largest standing army and spends 11 times more on defence than Taiwan, CNN reported.

Public sentiment in Taiwan reflects growing anxiety over the political deadlock. Residents have expressed concern about how the opposition-led freeze might be perceived by the US "I hope that Taiwan's legislature doesn't embarrass itself and lose face to foreign countries," said Wang Cheng-yi, a postgraduate student at National Taiwan University. Ms. Hsu, a 75-year-old Taipei resident, emphasised the importance of unity, saying, "Everybody should sit down and talk. Taiwan must balance relations with both the US and China. We are small. We cannot afford to make either big brother unhappy."

China's growing military aggression and diplomatic isolation of Taiwan have added urgency to the island's defence preparations. Last year, US intelligence suggested that Chinese President Xi Jinping had instructed his military to prepare for an invasion of Taiwan by 2027. While this does not guarantee an invasion, it underscores the escalating threat. The United States has historically maintained a policy of "strategic ambiguity" under the Taiwan Relations Act, which commits Washington to providing Taiwan with the means to defend itself without explicitly promising military intervention.

Taiwan's military reforms have faced criticism for their slow pace. Issues such as inadequate reservist training and delays in deploying advanced weaponry have drawn scrutiny. The ongoing debate over Taiwan's indigenous submarine program further highlights the challenges. Alexander Huang, head of international affairs for the opposition Kuomintang party, defended the budget freeze, stating, "We are not opposing indigenous weapon system development. However, we emphasise that we need to be very prudent to make sure our self-designed submarine can actually work."

The political discord also extends to Taiwan's infrastructure. Earlier this week, undersea cables connecting Taiwan to the Matsu islands were severed due to "natural deterioration," disrupting internet services in the area. The digital affairs ministry has warned that further budget cuts could hinder the maintenance of critical infrastructure, leaving Taiwan vulnerable to potential exploitation by Beijing.

Despite these challenges, some Taiwanese remain optimistic. Yeh Hsin-wei, a student in Taipei, pointed to Taiwan's semiconductor industry as a key deterrent against Beijing. "The world needs our chips, so I think China wouldn't risk a war," he said to CNN. "We need to be prepared, but maybe not worry too much."

Analysts have urged Taiwan's government to focus on presenting a united front, especially in light of Trump's return to the White House. "With or without Trump's inauguration, with China's increasing aggression over Taiwan, it is indeed Taiwan's top priority to continue to increase its self-defence budget," said Wei-Ting Yen, an assistant research fellow at Academia Sinica. "That's definitely not a good signal." (ANI)