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Taiwan's Local Administration Embarks on Military Buildup Incited by US Hawks

© AP PhotoIn this image taken from video, Taiwanese Air Force F-16V fighter jets taxi along a runway during a drill in Chiayi in southwestern Taiwan, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. Taiwan's Air Force pilots drilled on Wednesday to simulate an interception of Chinese aircraft into Taiwan's air defense identification zone. (AP Photo)
In this image taken from video, Taiwanese Air Force F-16V fighter jets taxi along a runway during a drill in Chiayi in southwestern Taiwan, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. Taiwan's Air Force pilots drilled on Wednesday to simulate an interception of Chinese aircraft into Taiwan's air defense identification zone. (AP Photo) - Sputnik International, 1920, 24.08.2024
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Taiwan's local authorities proposed increasing the island's defense spending to a record NT$647 billion ($20.2 billion) next year, an increase of 7.7% from 2023 that accounts for 2.45% of estimated GDP in 2025.
The defense spending hike, proposed by the island's local leader, Lai Ching Te, is the continuation of a trend set by his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen. During her tenure between 2016 and 2024, Tsai pushed through seven consecutive increases, almost doubling the island's defense budget.
The US is forcing the island to step up its military spending, citing an alleged “threat" of China's "invasion." China considers the island as its inalienable territory.
While the US had stayed deliberately ambiguous in its vows to defend the island since 1979, the Trump and Biden administrations appeared to voice nothing short of clear deterrence commitments.
The Taiwan Enhancement Resilience Act (TERA), signed by President Biden on 23 December 2022, authorized $2 billion of annual military grant assistance to the island from 2023 to 2027. The US even attempted to designate the island a "major non-NATO ally."
An F-35C Lightning II carrier variant, assigned to the Salty Dogs of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, waits to launch on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). VX-23 is conducting its third and final developmental test (DT-III) phase aboard George Washington in the Atlantic Ocean. The F-35C is expected to be Fleet operational in 2018.  - Sputnik International, 1920, 09.08.2024
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In April 2024, the US authorized another $8 billion in military aid for Taiwan and other allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. US weapons are now directly transferred from the Pentagon stockpiles to the island under the Presidential Drawdown Authority.
Over the past several years, Taiwan has, in particular, acquired 108 General Dynamics' M1A2T Abrams tanks ($2.2 billion), 66 Lockheed Martin's F-16V fighter jets ($8 billion) and 29 M142 HIMARS systems ($1.06 billion) from the US. US Big Five arm-makers have boasted of increased profits stemming from the US-driven tensions in Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
China strongly opposes Washington's push for Taiwan's militarization, saying this "sends a wrong signal to the Taiwan separatist forces."
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