Taiwan legislature passes $25B defense bill for major US arms purchases

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - Taiwan's opposition-controlled legislature on Friday passed a special defense budget bill allowing an additional $25 billion in spending to fund major US arms purchases.

The bill covers arms acquisitions following months of debate over how much the island should spend on weapons and security.

Jointly proposed by the main opposition Kuomintang and the smaller Taiwan People's Party, the bill will fund a major $11 billion arms package announced by the US last December, according to Focus Taiwan.

The package includes High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, TOW 2B missiles, Altius-700M and Altius-600 drones, as well as Javelin anti-armor missiles aimed at strengthening Taiwan’s defensive capabilities amid rising tensions with China.

The bill also includes a provision that could allow additional spending on future US arms purchases.

The approved amount is nearly $15 billion less than what the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) proposed last November.

In the 113-seat legislature, the bill passed by a 59-0 vote, with 48 lawmakers from the ruling party abstaining.

China claims Taiwan as its territory and has repeatedly threatened to take control of the island by force if necessary. The United States, Taiwan’s top arms supplier, provides significant military and political support.

Last year, the Trump administration approved a record $11 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, prompting protests from Beijing, which also sanctioned several US defense firms and their personnel.

Taiwan’s latest defense move comes less than a week before an expected meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In late April, Taiwan also received the final shipment of a 108-tank fleet purchased from the US under a deal worth about $1.28 billion.