A bipartisan delegation of several US senators visited Taiwan on March 28th, expressing their support and urging both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Kuomintang to work together to pass a substantial defense budget of up to 1.25 trillion New Taiwan Dollars.
During the visit, led by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the Chief of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Republican Senator John Curtis, the delegation engaged in discussions and meetings with key figures from both political parties in Taiwan. Curtis, who had previously served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Taiwan, is fluent in Chinese, including Taiwanese Hokkien.
The delegation’s visit coincided with Taiwan’s proposed defense budget facing obstacles in the parliament. The eight-year, 1.25 trillion NTD (nearly 40 billion USD) special defense budget bill began legislative review in the Taiwan Legislative Yuan on March 25th.
President Tsai Ing-wen and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party are actively seeking approval from the opposition Kuomintang and Taiwan People’s Party for the defense budget. The budget aims to provide funding for the procurement of weapons from US defense companies to enhance Taiwan’s security in response to increasing provocative actions from the Chinese Communist Party.
In addition to procuring US arms, the government’s defense budget bill allocates a quarter of the funds for investment in Taiwan’s local development, including the acquisition of 200,000 drones and boosting related industries. Minister of National Defense, Chiu Kuo-chung, emphasized that this is not solely about purchasing weapons, but also ensuring Taiwan’s self-sufficiency in maintenance and production capabilities during wartime blockades.
Shaheen, before departing from Washington on March 27th, told the Financial Times, “We see it as very important for congressional delegates to visit Taiwan, one reason being to reaffirm our support for Taiwan and articulate why… It’s crucial to see Taiwan taking these strong self-defense actions.”
In addition to meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen, the senators will also meet with members of the Kuomintang. Shaheen noted that the delegation will emphasize the importance of Taiwan passing the defense budget, which will help demonstrate that “Taiwan, like members of Congress, is committed to maintaining an independent future.”
The delegation members also include Republican Senator Thom Tillis and Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen. Tillis told the Financial Times that the timing of this visit is particularly crucial due to the deadlock in the Taiwan defense budget bill.
“The review of… President Tsai’s defense budget case in the Taiwan Legislative Yuan is crucial,” Tillis said. “Even if we don’t take any action, just emphasizing the importance of this matter is a significant reason for our visit to Taiwan.”
The Heritage Foundation, a well-known conservative think tank in the United States, published an opinion article on February 10th titled “Taiwan Must Pass Defense Budget.” The article stated, “The Kuomintang’s move to cut the defense budget echoes a broader, more concerning trend. The KMT has always sought to improve relations with China (CCP). The Legislative Yuan should seriously consider and support this comprehensive special defense budget.”
“President Tsai Ing-wen announced a 40 billion USD special defense budget in November of last year, which received widespread acclaim. The budget was originally intended for critical capacity building, including procuring advanced US weapon platforms and the ‘T-Dome’ multi-layered air defense missile system.
“However, the Legislative Yuan, controlled by the opposition Kuomintang and Taiwan People’s Party, repeatedly obstructed the budget. On February 1st, the Legislative Yuan instead passed a reduced alternative supplementary budget with a ceiling of 12.7 billion USD.”
The article pointed out that for years, the Chinese Communist Party has escalated threats towards Taiwan, claiming for “unification,” and the US has consistently urged Taiwan to increase defense spending. The actions of Taiwan legislators “not only harm Taiwan’s own security,” but “may also jeopardize Taiwan-US relations.”