Taiwan can't afford to hike its defense budget to more than 3% of gross domestic product, the new leader of the democratic island's biggest opposition party said, which could derail the government's spending plans.
The Kuomintang (KMT) controls parliament — and the government's purse strings — with the help of the Taiwan People's Party, and has close ties with China.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who leads the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), aims to boost defense spending to more than 3% of GDP next year and 5% by 2030, following U.S. pressure to spend more on protecting itself against a potential Chinese attack.
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