Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, announced Friday that her country would boost its defense spending in response to aggressive provocations by rival Taiwan.
“China’s military activities don’t only impact the situation in the Taiwan Strait, but also in all of East Asia… This is not a problem being faced alone by Taiwan,” Tsai told reporters during a Friday press conference, standing on a stage adorned with two model fighter jets.
“All countries in this region who want to see peace and stability, have a consensus… and China can’t ignore this, that cross-strait issues absolutely can’t be resolved through military force but through peaceful means,” she added.
Taiwan’s decision to spend more on its defense comes amid rising tensions with China, which has increased as Beijing becomes more influential in the region and beyond.
“Over the past year, the morale of our military is steadily improving, support for our military is also continuously increasing. This is the most gratifying thing since I’ve become president. I hereby solemnly announce that our annual defense budget will grow steadily within a reasonable range. Building our own defenses will no longer be a slogan, but the daily task we must fully realize,” said Tsai. [source]
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