Taiwan's government plans to increase its 2026 defense budget to more than 3% of GDP as it faces U.S. pressure to invest more in its own protection.
Taipei has ramped up investment in military equipment and weapons over the past decade in response to intensifying pressure from China, which claims the democratic island as part of its territory and has threatened to seize it by force.
Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai said Thursday that the latest hike was "another concrete demonstration to the world and the people of Taiwan of our resolve and ability to safeguard national sovereignty and security."
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