Taiwan’s 2027 defence spending to rise 16%, official media reports

TAIPEI – Taiwan’s Cabinet will propose a 16 per cent annual rise in defence spending for 2027 which will for the first time exceed T$1 trillion (S$39.27 billion), the official Central News Agency reported on Aug 9, as Taipei bolsters its military. The move will come as China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has ramped up military and political pressure over the past few years to assert its claims, which Taipei strongly rejects. But Taiwan also faces calls from Washington to spend more on its own defence, mirroring pressure from the United States on Europe, something…