TAIPEI (Realist English). Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has pledged to defend the island’s sovereignty against what he described as China’s growing “expansionist ambitions,” days after China concluded live-fire military exercises around Taiwan.
In his New Year’s address on Thursday, Lai said the international community was watching whether the Taiwanese people had the resolve to defend themselves amid mounting pressure from Beijing. “As president, my position has always been clear: to firmly safeguard national sovereignty, strengthen national defence and the resilience of the whole society, and build an effective deterrence and democratic defence mechanism,” he said.
Lai’s remarks followed Chinese drills involving rocket launches, combat aircraft and naval vessels encircling the island. Beijing staged the exercises after expressing anger over a planned United States arms sale to Taiwan and comments by Japan’s new leader suggesting Tokyo could intervene in the event of a Chinese attack.
The US weapons package, valued at more than $11 billion and the largest to Taiwan to date, includes missiles, drones, artillery systems and military software. Washington is required under US law to provide Taiwan with defensive capabilities, despite Beijing’s objections.
China claims the self-ruled island as its territory and has repeatedly threatened to annex it by force if necessary. On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated that position in his own New Year’s address, calling Taiwan’s eventual “reunification” with China “unstoppable.”
Taipei has responded by accelerating its military buildup. Last year, Taiwan approved a special $40 billion arms budget, including funding for an advanced air defence system known as the Taiwan Dome, with spending spread over eight years from 2026 to 2033. Lai has also committed to raising defence spending to 5% of GDP.
“Facing China’s serious military ambitions, Taiwan has no time to wait,” Lai said, underscoring the urgency he says now defines the island’s security strategy.
