TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US is helping Taiwan strengthen its defense capabilities, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs John Noh said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday.
In response to a question from House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers about US security assistance to Taiwan, Noh said the defense department has several tools available, including foreign military sales, presidential drawdown authority, and the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative.
“We are actively working to present options to present to leadership … on different ways to provide security assistance to Taiwan and will continue to do so,” Noh said.
In his written statement, Noh acknowledged that President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has pledged to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2030, which would include a special defense budget that “addresses many of Taiwan’s most critical defense gaps.”
The assistant secretary added the defense department has “worked closely” with Taiwan’s defense ministry on forming the special budget and “is encouraging Taiwan’s political parties to work together to fund these requirements.”
Noh urged Taiwan “to build on this positive momentum and ensure it has the self-defense capability to meet the scale of the threat it faces.”
Taiwan's defense ministry on Tuesday released a public report detailing the weapons it plans to procure under the proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special defense budget.
The plan covers seven categories of weapons systems, including long-range precision strike missiles, unmanned systems, and air defense missiles. “Investing in defense is investing in peace,” the ministry said, adding that the budget is necessary to strengthen response capabilities and maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait.
