Taiwan will remain committed to the decision to increase defense spending and follow the example of other Asian nations in this regard, the Taipei Times news outlet reported, citing Prime Minister Lai Ching‑te.
The prime minister was speaking at the opening of the East Asia Peace Forum in Taipei on Saturday
Lai also stressed that Taiwan would do everything in its powers to ensure that the UN Security Council's sanctions against North Korea were implemented.
The head of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, stressed the need for the boost in defense spending last year and promised that the island's military budget would grow by 2 percent each year. In October 2017, the Taiwanese administration proposed a $10.7 billion military budget for 2018.