TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Investing in defense ensures effective force-building and combat readiness, Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said at a briefing on Wednesday.
Koo said that budgets are drawn up based on threats and operational defense needs to acquire weapons so the armed forces can defeat the enemy, with the proper training and effective tactics, per CNA. From 2009 to 2016, Taiwan’s defense budget did not grow, Koo pointed out. After former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office, the defense budget steadily increased, rising from NT$355.7 billion (US$1.32 billion) in 2017 to NT$607.4 billion in 2024.
Koo said that President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has continued to prioritize defense. Under his term, the defense budget increased to NT$649.9 billion in 2025, and the government plans to budget NT$806 billion this year. This will greatly help the procurement and sustainment of new equipment and weapons systems, he said.
The defense minister said that between 2009 and 2025, salaries in the armed forces were increased or adjusted 23 times. Last year, the defense ministry reviewed the pay and benefits structure for volunteer service members and introduced measures such as combat unit wage increases.
The military has also improved soldiers’ living conditions by constructing new barracks and renovating houses. These efforts have led to better military retention, Koo said. By the end of 2025, the armed forces’ retention rate reached 87.2%, and volunteer-force manpower increased by more than 3,000 compared with 2024.
Koo said he hoped the opposition parties would understand that increasing the defense budget is not only about procuring the new equipment the military needs. It also boosts service members’ confidence by ensuring they receive modern gear.
