Taiwan aims to “deter war” by increasing its defence spending, the democratic island’s leader said on Saturday (October 10, 2026), as China uses military pressure to assert its territorial claims.

Taiwan’s 23 million people live under the constant threat of an attack by China, which insists the island is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex it.

“Our aim by increasing investment in national defence is not to provoke, rather, it is to deter war,” President Lai Ching-te said in a speech to celebrate Taiwan’s National Day.

Successive administrations have ramped up military spending as Taiwan improves its fighting abilities to avoid a potential Chinese invasion — and to show the United States it is serious about its own defence.

Mr. Lai’s government has earmarked a record NT$1.1 trillion ($34.5 billion) in defence spending for 2027, which accounts for more than 3% of GDP.

“We do not seek hegemony, nor do we seek to dominate others,” Mr. Lai said in his annual address in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei, where thousands of people, including foreign diplomats, were gathered.

“However, peace cannot rely solely on wishes, and tolerance cannot become a pretext for aggressors to encroach ever further,” Mr. Lai said, noting that China continued to “apply pressure through military and grey-zone activities in an attempt to alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait”.

Mr. Lai welcomed talks between the United States and China, but insisted “there must be respect for the right of the people of Taiwan to exist”.

Government officials in Washington and Taipei have said repeatedly that U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed under President Donald Trump, whose remarks have jangled nerves at times.

‘U.S. support is extremely important’

The United States switched official diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing nearly 50 years ago, but Washington is Taipei’s most important security backer.

Mr. Trump’s suggestion in May, following a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan could be a bargaining chip with China set off alarm bells across the world.

Taiwan is waiting for Mr. Trump’s signature on $14 billion worth of weapons, including the U.S.-made Patriot air defence system.

Taiwanese fighter jets and two Chinook helicopters carrying giant Taiwan flags flew over the capital ahead of Mr. Lai’s wide-ranging speech, which also covered housing pressure and the declining population.

“You can really feel the warmth in Taiwanese society,” said Feng Jing-heng, 70, who was in the crowd watching the military parade and dance performances.

Tao Yi-feng, a political scientist at National Taiwan University, said Mr. Lai’s speech was “relatively moderate” and unlikely to be met with “overt reaction from Beijing”.

Saturday’s (October 10, 2026) celebrations mark the 115th anniversary of the toppling of China’s Qing dynasty and the subsequent founding of the Republic of China.

The current dispute between China and Taiwan dates to a civil war between the nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek, who retreated to the island in 1949 after being defeated by Mao Zedong’s communist fighters.

Parliamentary speaker Han Kuo-yu, who is a senior member of the main opposition party that favours closer ties with China, said, “U.S. support is extremely important to Taiwan’s security”, but he noted the historical and cultural links with China.

“The overwhelming majority of Taiwanese compatriots do not want war; they wish to live their lives in peace and hope for peaceful cross-strait exchanges,” Mr. Han said at the National Day event.

Taiwan boxer Lin Yu-ting won a “monumental” Asian Games gold on Friday (October 2, 2026) and said she was “grateful for making it through” after considering quitting following a major gender row at the Paris Olympics.

The 30-year-old beat China’s Yang Chengyu 5-0 in the women’s 60kg final in Nagoya, giving her a second Asian Games gold after winning in the 57kg class in Hangzhou three years ago.

Lin told AFP before the Games that she had considered retiring after winning gold at the Paris Olympics but wanted to carry on fighting in part to defy those who questioned her eligibility.

She said after her victory in Nagoya that she had been “waiting for that moment when the light breaks through”.

“It was really not easy at all,” she said.

“It’s rare to finally reach that point where you see the dawn, and I’m just so grateful to myself for making it through.”

Lin and Imane Khelif of Algeria found themselves in the middle of a major gender row at the 2024 Olympics, with Donald Trump, Elon Musk and author J.K. Rowling among those wading in.

The two boxers had been disqualified from the 2023 world championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after the organisation said they failed unspecified gender eligibility tests.

However, the IOC allowed them to compete in Paris, saying they were victims of “a sudden and arbitrary decision” by the widely discredited IBA. Both went on to win gold.

‘Not afraid to die’

Lin said winning at the Asian Games was different from her Olympic victory, adding that its “significance is monumental”.

“I basically just felt like packing up my things and rushing back home — that was the kind of mindset I had,” she said of her past experience.

“I didn’t hold on to any hope any more. I am so grateful to the coach for always believing in me and always believing that good things would happen.”

Lin was backed by a small pocket of vocal Taiwanese supporters in the cosy Nishio Gymnasium.

Towering over her opponent, she used her superior reach to take control of the bout and had a clear advantage heading into the third and final round.

She held off a late assault from Yang to take gold, celebrating with the minimum of fuss.

Lin said she decided to compete in a heavier weight class at the Asian Games because she was “not afraid to die”.

“People are like that — you want to see a different version of yourself,” she said.

“Since I already had a really solid track record at 57kg, I also wanted to give myself a different challenge and see just how far I could go.”

Lin refused to confirm whether she planned to defend her Olympic title at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

“I believe that in the future, we can also put on an even better performance, persevere all the way and laugh until the end,” she said.

China’s Olympic champion Wu Yu also won gold, defending her Asian Games title in the women’s 51kg.

Wu beat Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Tam 5-0.

Japan’s Rui Yamaguchi gave the home crowd something to cheer about when he took gold in the men’s 55kg class.

Yamaguchi won by split decision, 3-2 over the Philippines’ Carlo Paalam, a silver medallist at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

While World and Olympic medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu is treading cautiously in search of an elusive Asian Games medal, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Chanambam Rishikanta Singh has been ruled out due to a recurring knee injury.

With no Chinese lifter in the fray in the women’s 49kg category, Mirabai — who won her third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow with an aggregate of 190kg — has her best chance to open her account in the continental extravaganza.

Mirabai missed the 2018 Asian Games due to a back issue and was injured on the competition platform during the next edition in 2023.

According to chief coach Vijay Sharma, seasoned North Korean Ri Song Gum, Thailand’s Kaeosingkhon Suthasini and Taiwan’s Fang Wan-ling will be Mirabai’s main competitors. Since Ri is a notch above the rest, the 32-year-old Mirabai needs to beat the other two in a field of eight to break the jinx.

“Anything around a 200kg total would get us a medal. A medal is our target, not the total,” Sharma told The Hindu.

Mirabai promptly resumed training after winning gold in Glasgow in July. “She needed to train as she was troubled by shoulder and wrist injuries after the National championships in February. Now, we are not overloading her and playing it safe. The focus is on her fitness,” said Sharma.

The coach added that the three other women lifters in the Indian squad — Gyaneshwari Yadav (53kg), Nirupama Devi (61kg) and Harjinder Kaur (69kg) — would try to achieve their personal bests.

Rishikanta (60kg), the lone male weightlifter in the Indian squad, will not compete in Japan. “He has been carrying the injury for some time. He managed to claim the Commonwealth Games silver despite the injury. But he will not be able to take part in the Asian Games,” said Sharma.

Taiwan must demonstrate its resolve to ‌defend itself and pass a six-year, T$210 billion ($6.6 billion) special ​budget to buy military drones, President Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) ⁠ahead of a crucial vote in the Opposition-controlled Parliament.

Taiwan’s Government says the plans to buy some 2,10,000 new military drones cannot wait, given the wars in Ukraine and West Asia have shown the importance of uncrewed weapons in modern warfare.

But the Opposition, which controls parliament, has put forward its own proposals to ‌cap spending each year at T$40 billion, drawn from the annual budget ‌and ⁠overseen by the economy, not defence, ministry.

The government says with ⁠the threat from China, which views the democratically governed island as its own territory, the drones are urgently needed to turn any conflict zone into a “hellscape” for the Chinese military.

Mr. Lai said that, ​in light of the evolution ‌of modern warfare, drones have become a key component in the military’s efforts to build its “asymmetric” combat capability.

“This is not only a matter of national defence buildup but also an important step for Taiwan to demonstrate its determination for ‌self-defence,” he told a weekly meeting of his Democratic Progressive Party ahead of an expected parliament vote on the competing plans on Thursday (August 27, 2026).

Pre-vote lawmaker meeting

Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties debated their ⁠various proposals in a meeting on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) but failed to reach agreement.

Lai Shyh-bao, a senior lawmaker from the largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, told the meeting that ‌their proposal was the more practical one.

“The technology is advancing rapidly, and if you buy a huge quantity all at once, it will quickly become out of date,” he said.

Defence Minister Wellington Koo has said the government plan would still involve annual procurement and regular upgrades, rather than a one-off bulk purchase.

He also said the annual spending cap of T$40 billion would prevent Taiwan from effectively ‌building up drone combat capabilities, as the ministry already planned to spend T$42.1 billion on drones ​in 2027 alone.

Parliament earlier this month passed separate drone-related spending plans aimed at developing the industry.

The plans focus in particular on ⁠building a “non-red” supply chain independent of China, which dominates the global drone market and is ⁠home to some of the world’s leading drone manufacturers.

At a regular press conference in Beijing earlier on Wednesday (August 26, 2026), a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs ‌Office repeated criticism of Mr. Lai’s “seeking independence by force”.

“The overwhelming trend towards reunification cannot be stopped,” spokesperson Zhang Han said.

Mr. Lai rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and ​says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.

($1 = 31.8430 Taiwan dollars)

Taiwan’s military will hold ​a five-day combat readiness drill this week, the Defence Ministry said ⁠on Sunday (June 21, 2026), as part of modernisation plans to shift its training focus to more realistic exercises simulating war, away from setpiece events.

Taiwan, which China claims as ‌its own territory despite the objections of the government in Taipei, says China’s armed forces routinely operate in the skies ‌and seas around the island in an effort to pressure ‌it ⁠to accept Chinese sovereignty.

Taiwan’s military has begun basing some ⁠of its drills on a scenario in which China suddenly turns one of its regular exercises around the island into an actual attack.

Also Read | China says it will take countermeasures to new Taiwan intelligence gathering site

The “Immediate Combat Readiness Exercise” would start ​on Monday (June 22) and run until Friday, ‌the Defence Ministry said in a statement, describing the drill as part of annual training plans in joint operations for the armed forces.

“The main objective is to train units at all levels to become ‌familiar with combat practices and the battlefield environment during the ​readiness deployment phase,” it said.

The exercise would also help to strengthen rapid peacetime-to-wartime transitions and priority deployments, it added, with “actual ⁠troops, on actual terrain, in real time, using actual equipment, and through actual implementation”.

It will hone command mechanisms and combat-oriented capabilities of the troops, ‌with an emphasis on improving joint operations command and control, logistical sustainment, and battlefield preparation, the ministry said.

The announcement came on the same day the ministry said China had sent another large number of military aircraft into the skies near Taiwan.

There were 21 aircraft, including J-16 fighters, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, and Y-20 aerial refuelling aircraft, ‌it added.

Nineteen of them entered the airspace to Taiwan’s southwest and into the ​Western Pacific to conduct “long-distance training over open seas”, it added.

Taiwan sent its own forces to “respond appropriately”, the Ministry said, using ⁠the standard wording for its response.

Telephone calls to China’s Defence Ministry to ⁠seek comment were not answered outside office hours on Sunday (June 21).

Taiwan regularly holds military drills, including earlier this month, when it ‌fired its new U.S.-made HIMARS rocket system, which is widely used by Ukraine, into the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan’s main annual Han Kuang ​war games are expected to take place in August.

Taiwan will not ‌be sacrificed or traded and will not give up its free way ​of life under pressure, President Lai Ching-te wrote on Facebook on ⁠Sunday (May 17, 2026), adding that U.S. arms sales to the island were a security commitment based on law.

Mr. Lai’s comments were his first direct response to the summit last week in Beijing between U.S. President ‌Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that raised concerns in democratically governed Taiwan about U.S. backing for the island.

Mr. Trump said he was still ‌considering whether to go ahead with new weapons sales to the Chinese-claimed island ‌and ⁠that the U.S. was “not looking to have somebody say, ‘Let’s go independent because ⁠the United States is backing us’.”

‘Very concerned’

Mr. Lai said people were “very concerned” about the Taiwan content of that meeting, while also thanking the U.S. government for its continued attention to peace and stability across the Taiwan ​Strait and for its support for ‌Taiwan.

Taiwan would not provoke or escalate conflict, he added.

Also read: China’s ‘grey-zone’ warfare tactics against Taiwan | Explained 

“But we will also not give up our national sovereignty and dignity, or our democratic and free way of life, under pressure,” Mr. Lai said, adding that China was the source of regional ‌instability.

There was no immediate response from China to his comments.

China has ​never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control and says it is a Chinese province, not a country.

Shared interest

Ensuring ⁠peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait had always been a strong consensus and shared interest of Taiwan, the United States, and democratic countries around the world, Mr. Lai wrote.

“Taiwan will ‌absolutely not be sacrificed or traded.”

Long-term Taiwan-U.S. security cooperation and arms sales were based on the Taiwan Relations Act, he said, referencing the 1979 law that mandates the sale of weapons to the island.

“This is not only a U.S. security commitment to Taiwan, but also the most important deterrent force over the years against actions that undermine regional peace and stability.”

While the Trump administration in December approved an $11 billion ‌arms sales package, the largest ever, Reuters has reported that a second one worth some $14 billion ​still awaits his nod.

‘Sovereign country’

Mr. Lai also reiterated his stance that the Republic of China, Taiwan’s formal name, was a “sovereign, independent, democratic country”.

The Republic of China ⁠and the People’s Republic were not subordinate to each other, Taiwan’s future must be decided ⁠by its own people and its “sovereignty cannot be violated or annexed”, Lai said.

“This is the greatest consensus of all the people of Taiwan, and it is ‌the status quo that we seek to defend. There is no so-called ‘Taiwan independence’ issue.”

The defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing ​a civil war to Mao Zedong’s communists, who founded the People’s Republic.

Taiwan has the right to engage with ​the world, and no country can stop that, ⁠President Lai Ching-te told Eswatini’s king after he arrived for a surprise trip that Taipei says Beijing tried to stop, as China condemned him as a “rat”.

China views ‌democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory with no right to State-to-State ties, a position Taiwan’s government strongly ‌disputes, and Beijing has demanded countries stop any engagements with ‌the ⁠island.

Taiwan’s Opposition leader, a proponent of closer ties with Beijing, said on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) she hoped to sow the “seeds of peace” during a rare visit to China.

Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun is the party’s first leader to visit China in a decade, but her trip — during which she hopes to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping — has sparked debate in Taiwan.

The leader of Taiwan’s largest opposition party said Monday (March 23, 2026) she hoped to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and build a “bridge” to resolve disputes between China and the democratic island, which Beijing has threatened to seize by force.

Communist China has never ruled Taiwan, but Beijing insists the self-governed island of more than 23 million people is part of its territory, and uses military pressure to assert its sovereignty claim.

Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, who has been a strident critic of President Lai Ching-te’s government since taking up her role in November, has insisted on meeting Xi before she makes an official trip to the United States.

While the KMT has long supported closer ties with Beijing, Ms. Cheng has been accused by Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of doing Beijing’s bidding by stalling the government’s defence spending plans.

There are concerns inside the KMT that a Cheng-Xi meeting could trigger a voter backlash in Taiwan’s district elections later this year.

But speaking to foreign media on Monday, Ms. Cheng said talks with Mr. Xi would carry “signficant symbolic meaning” and could be a “foundation” to peaceful relations across the Taiwan Strait.

“I do not believe a single meeting can resolve all the issues that have been accumulating for nearly a century,” Ms. Cheng said.

“But… I hope I can successfully build such a bridge.”

While Ms. Cheng has expressed confidence that a meeting with Mr. Xi will happen, there has been no confirmation from Beijing.

Ms. Cheng’s remarks came as Taiwan’s parliament began reviewing rival proposals for special defence spending that are aimed at boosting the island’s military capabilities against a potential Chinese attack.

Mr. Lai’s government has proposed NT$1.25 trillion ($39 billion) in spending on critical defence purchases, including US arms, while the KMT wants to allocate NT$380 billion for U.S. weapons with the option for more acquisitions.

While the KMT supported having stronger defences, Ms. Cheng said more military spending alone would not achieve peace with China.

“There must also be political efforts. Political efforts are… the key,” Ms. Cheng said.

China severed high-level communications with Taiwan in 2016 after Mr. Lai’s predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, who also belongs to the Democratic Progressive Party, took power.

Chinese leaders detest Lai, who Beijing calls a “separatist”.

Ms. Cheng said her push for closer relations with China did not come at the expense of the United States, which is Taiwan’s biggest arms provider.

Lawmakers in Washington have been critical of Taiwan’s opposition parties for blocking the government’s defence spending bill.

“The KMT has long had very good relations with the United States, and improving our relations with the mainland (China) will not affect that,” Ms. Cheng said.

“We do not need to choose one or the other.”