US lawmakers warn Taiwan to ‘meet the moment’ as China stages invasion-style drills
FIRST ON FOX: A bipartisan group of senior U.S. lawmakers is urging Taiwan to dramatically boost its defense spending, warning that political gridlock in Taipei risks undermining deterrence as China...
By Fox News · Fox News
FIRST ON FOX: A bipartisan group of senior U.S. lawmakers is urging Taiwan to dramatically boost its defense spending , warning that political gridlock in Taipei risks undermining deterrence as China escalates military pressure around the island. Sens. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and Chris Coons, D-Del., along with Reps. Young Kim, R-Calif., and Ami Bera, D-Calif., sent a letter from 34 lawmakers Thursday to leaders of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan expressing "serious concerns" that a proposed special defense budget could be only partially funded. "We hope you will support a robust, multiyear special defense budget … that adequately meet(s) the moment and send(s) a clear signal of Taiwan’s will to defend itself," the lawmakers wrote. The warning comes as Taiwan’s president , Lai Ching-te, pushes for a major multiyear defense package aimed at strengthening the island’s asymmetric warfare capabilities — including missiles, air defense systems, drones and reserve force training — designed to make any Chinese invasion or blockade far more costly. US MOVE ON VENEZUELA SPARKS TAIWAN COMPARISONS AS LAWMAKERS DEBATE CHINA THREAT But the proposal has become entangled in a fierce domestic political battle. Opposition parties that control Taiwan’s legislature have resisted fully approving the special defense budget, arguing for revisions and greater oversight. The standoff has fueled concern in Washington that delays could weaken Taiwan’s readiness at a time when Beijing is intensifying military operations near the island. China's People’s Liberation Army has conducted multiple large-scale exercises around Taiwan in recent months, including drills simulating encirclement and blockade operations. Chinese aircraft routinely cross the median line of the Taiwan Strait and enter Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone, while Chinese vessels have increased activity in surrounding waters. Chinese President Xi Jinping repeatedly has refused to rule out the use of force to bring Taiwan under…