Taiwan plans 14% boost in defense spending to counter China

Bloomberg

Taiwan proposed raising its total spending on the military by almost 14% next year, contributing to what’s expected to be a record increase in the government’s budget as it bolsters its defenses from a surge in Chinese military activity.
The cabinet signed off on spending plans for 2023 at its weekly meeting Thursday. At a briefing in Taipei, officials outlined plans to increase the annual defense budget to NT$397.4 billion ($13.2 billion), along with a proposal to include an additional special budget for purchases of military hardware.
That would bring total military spending to a record-high NT$586.3 billion, a 13.9% increase over 2022.
The surge in defense spending would come as Taiwan faces increased pressure to fend off daily Chinese incursions across the median line of the Taiwan Strait, a tacit barrier that has separated the two rivals for decades. China launched a series of military exercises around Taiwan following US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei earlier this month.
Since then, there have been more than 320 flights by Chinese warplanes across the median line and into the southwestern part of Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone.
Officials highlighted the need for greater funds for ongoing activities to counter the Chinese incursions by earmarking a 25.4% increase in operational spending. “The budget for maintaining operations saw the biggest increase among the defense-spending categories this year in response to the cross-strait situation,” the cabinet’s chief statistician, Chu Tzer-ming, said at the briefing. “Warplanes need to take off and warships need to go to sea, which all lead to higher expenses.”
The increased spending on defense is part of a 21% jump in the government’s total budget for 2023.