U.S. House of Representatives calls on KMT to allocate resources to build Taiwan's critical defense capabilities

U.S. Rep. John Molenaar, fourth from right, poses with the Chinese Kuomintang legislative caucus in Washington on Tuesday. Photo credit: U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on U.S.-China Strategic Competition, via CNA

Urgent: The KMT needs to implement and deliver the resources needed to build Taiwan's critical defense capabilities, a U.S. lawmaker told a visiting KMT delegation.

By Lam Hsin-hsuan and Holly Young/Reporters, with news agency reporters

Please read on...

Politicization and delays in increasing Taiwan's defense budget are causing concern among Taiwan's partners, John Molenaar, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on U.S.-China Strategic Competition, said on Tuesday.

Molenaar issued an official statement after meeting with the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) Legislative Yuan caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington.

The delegation, led by Kuomintang legislator Xu Qiaoxin (Xu Qiaoxin), discussed Taiwan's national defense, energy independence and cross-strait policies.

Molenaar said that now that he has met with members of Taiwan's ruling and opposition parties, they "all believe in the urgency of strengthening Taiwan's defense capabilities" as China's harassment of Taiwan has increased in recent months, including cyberattacks, intrusions and military exercises.

The KMT's proposed drone budget would increase support for critical drone capabilities, he said, adding that the KMT must "implement and deliver the resources needed to deliver on Taiwan's plan to build critical defense capabilities."

Meanwhile, a statement from the KMT delegation said they emphasized to Molnar that the Taiwanese people love and firmly defend their liberal and democratic way of life but understand the threat of war, as seen in the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, the Middle East and Iran.

The party fully supports the critical defense spending needed to maintain Taiwan's self-defense capabilities, as demonstrated through the passage of the UAV Development Bill and the special defense budget.

In addition to weapons procurement, critical infrastructure is key to deterrence and energy security remains one of Taiwan's most critical vulnerabilities, the party said.

The party cited its proposal to revive the nuclear referendum, which could be used to provide a stable power supply during lockdowns or crises.

When it comes to cross-strait issues, the Kuomintang said it attaches equal importance to dialogue and deterrence when dealing with Beijing issues, aiming to establish stable communication channels to reduce the risk of miscalculation and manage crises.

The KMT stated that it will continue to deepen cooperation with the U.S. Congress in areas including national defense, high-tech supply chain resilience, energy transition, trade and economic affairs, and jointly promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

News source: Taipei Times

No need to grab. No need to grab. Now use the APP to read the news. You are guaranteed to win every day. Click me to download the APP. Click me to see the event details.