Taiwan Unveils Raise in Defence Spending as China Details Combat Drills Near Island

NTD
Date: Aug 13, 2020
By: Reuters

A CM-11 Brave Tiger tank fires during the live fire Han Kuang military exercise, which simulates China’s People’s Liberation Army invading the island, in Pingtung, Taiwan, on May 30, 2019. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

TAIPEI—Taiwan unveiled a T$42.1 billion ($1.4 billion) increase for next year’s planned defense spending on Thursday, as China announced details of its latest combat drills near the democratic island.

China has stepped up its military activity near Taiwan, which it regards as a breakaway province.

On Monday, Taiwan said Chinese fighters briefly crossed the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait, the same day U.S. health chief Alex Azar met President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei. China had denounced Azar’s trip.

Tsai’s Cabinet is proposing T$453.4 billion ($15.4 billion) in military spending for the year starting in January, versus T$411.3 billion ($13.8 billion) budgeted for this year, up 10.2 percent, according to Reuters calculations.    [FULL  STORY]

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