MADRID 1 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, promised this Wednesday to continue increasing the island’s defense spending and show his determination to fight the growing threat from China.
“Taiwan must be prepared for danger in peacetime and must continue to increase its defense budget and strengthen its military capabilities, demonstrating our determination to protect the country,” Lai said during his New Year’s speech in Taipei, the capital of the territory.
Since taking office last May, Beijing has continued to increase pressure on Taiwan with two large-scale military maneuvers around the island.
Following Lai’s first overseas trip as president in December, which included stops in the U.S. territories of Hawaii and Guam, China launched what Taipei called the largest naval deployment in years along the first island chain.
Lai’s promises come a few days before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20, posing new uncertainty for Taiwan.
The Republican has suggested that the island “should pay” the US for its defense and has questioned whether Washington has to defend Taiwan from any Chinese invasion, as Joe Biden repeatedly promised.
Today, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense has signed agreements with the United States that allow it to purchase up to 1,000 attack drones from AeroVironment and Anduril Industries to face a possible Chinese invasion.
On the other hand, this past Tuesday the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, reiterated the Communist Party’s position on Taiwan. “No one will be able to prevent the reunification of China,” he said, referring to Beijing’s promise to put the island under its control, by force if necessary.