US Representatives Send Letter Urging Taiwan Parliament to Approve Defense Budget, Highlight Increasing Chinese Threat

A bipartisan group of 37 US lawmakers from Republican and Democratic parties wrote a letter to Taiwan's senior politicians expressing concern about the delayed approval of defense budget. The letter, addressed to Han Kuo-yu, the Taiwan Parliament Speaker, and leaders of the Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan People's Party (TPP), and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), highlighted that the threat from China has never been more severe. US lawmakers noted that President Xi Jinping is using every component of China's national power to control Taiwan. The letter emphasized that while the US must address massive weapon delivery delays, Taiwan must also accelerate its efforts. They commended Taiwan's significant progress in military readiness but warned that without substantial additional defense budget increases of $40 billion proposed by President Lai Ching-te, current progress would be insufficient. The opposition parties support defense spending but insist on thorough budget proposal reviews, while Taiwan's Defense Minister previously warned that budget approval delays could create 'cracks' in the joint defense against China.