Taiwan President Announces $40 Billion in New Defense Spending to Counter China

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te holds a press conference on “Action Plan for Safeguarding Democratic Taiwan and National Security” at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei on Nov. 26, 2025. I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty ImagesTAIPEI, Taiwan—China is “accelerating” its military preparations to achieve its goal of forcibly seizing Taiwan by 2027, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te warned on Nov. 26, while announcing a special defense budget of $40 billion to confront the Chinese military threats.Speaking at a press conference in the presidential office, Lai said the budget would be allocated over an eight-year period, from 2026 to 2033, for projects including the construction of a “Taiwan Dome,” an air defense system featuring high-level detection and effective interception capabilities.