Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday that she expects further increases in the already record high defense spending in her country along with continuing military reforms and reliance on support from the United States
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th August, 2020) Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday that she expects further increases in the already record high defense spending in her country along with continuing military reforms and reliance on support from the United States.
"I am pleased that working together with our legislature last year we unveiled our largest ever defense budget reaching 2.3 percent of our GDP. I fully expect that this number will continue to grow," Tsai Ing-wen said in a speech at the Hudson Institute.
Tsai Ing-wen pointed out that Taiwan's number one priority is to accelerate the development of "asymmetric capabilities under the overall defense concept."
Taiwan, which feels threatened by China, is deeply engaged in reforms to make its military even more effective, she said.
"As effective as our military is we cannot stand alone without support from the community of like-minded democracies. I am proud that the relationship between Taiwan and the US has never been closer," Tsai Ing-wen said.
Taiwan and the United States share a high degree of mutual trust and a common strategic picture of how they can work together "to protect and preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific," she added.
