Three former US military and political leaders yesterday recommended that Taiwan reasonably increase its defense budget, and the US military increase its training in Taiwan and forces in the Indo-Pacific region to deter Chinese aggression.
The US House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the US and the Chinese Communist Party held a hearing titled “Deterrence Amid Rising Tensions: Preventing CCP Aggression on Taiwan,” inviting retired US army general Charles Flynn, former deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell and retired US navy rear admiral Mark Montgomery to give testimonies.
Montgomery said that the US joint training mission in Taiwan should be expanded from 500 to 1,000 personnel, and advocated that Taiwan’s defense budget should reach 5 percent of GDP by 2028.
Photo: CNA
The US has never formally announced the number of troops it has stationed in Taiwan.
The US Congress passed the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act in 2023, instructing the executive branch to train Taiwanese troops, but the Ministry of National Defense has been slow to make progress, Montgomery said.
Taiwan still needs the investment and participation of the US military to establish an effective deterrence force with appropriate combat capabilities, he said.
Flynn also emphasized the importance of US military training.
The US could provide Taiwan with 400 Harpoon missile systems, but it is useless if Taiwan does not have teams that know how to operate, deploy and manage these systems, Flynn said.
US military training would help Taiwanese troops understand how to implement defense in depth, which is “the key value we bring as a training unit,” he said.
President William Lai (賴清德) announced a special budget in February, with the goal of increasing defense spending to at least 3 percent of GDP.
US Representative Dusty Johnson said that there is no consensus within Taiwan’s divided government to reach this 3 percent goal, questioning whether Montgomery’s proposed 5 percent goal is feasible.
Montgomery said that by spending 5 percent of GDP on the military, Taiwan would be able to purchase all the systems it needs and establish real combat readiness.
Historically for democratic countries, 5 percent is an achievable standard, he said.
Having a military budget equal to 10 percent of GDP is unrealistic for Taiwan, as this would mean purchasing US$40 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) equipment from the US every year, he said.
“I believe everyone is well aware that we currently cannot even provide US$350 million of FMF annually,” Montgomery said.
Unless the Foreign Military Sales system is completely transformed and its efficiency improved by 1,000 percent, Taiwan’s military budget would not be able to reach 10 percent of its GDP, he said.
Campbell, who left office in January, said that while it is crucial to focus on what Taiwan needs to do and how to support Taiwan, the US must continue to strengthen its own capabilities and shift more forces to the Indo-Pacific region.
“We are the ultimate backing force,” Campbell said.
It is in US interests to continue supporting Taiwan, Campbell said, highlighting the achievements Taiwan has made over the past four years in technology, politics and strategy with US backing.
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
Taipei is to implement widespread road closures around Taipei 101 on Friday to make way for large crowds during the Double Ten National Day celebration, the Taipei Department of Transportation said. A four-minute fireworks display is to be launched from the skyscraper, along with a performance by 500 drones flying in formation above the nearby Nanshan A21 site, starting at 10pm. Vehicle restrictions would occur in phases, they said. From 5pm to 9pm, inner lanes of Songshou Road between Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 are to be closed, with only the outer lanes remaining open. Between 9pm and 9:40pm, the section is
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday hosted a reception to celebrate Double Ten National Day. Conservative Canadian lawmaker Marc Dalton called Taiwan a “beacon of courage and resilience in the face of rising authoritarianism,” according to a post on the Taiwan in Vancouver Facebook page. Also in attendance were fellow conservative caucus members Tako Van Popta and Chak Au, who said that Taiwan plays an “indispensable role” in ensuring global peace, prosperity and stability due to its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region, it said. Canadian lawmaker Michael Cooper also recorded a message wishing Taiwan a
RSS