TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Retired US Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery on Thursday called Taiwan a “model ally” and urged Taiwan lawmakers to pass a special defense budget before a planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Speaking at a seminar hosted by the Global Taiwan Institute in Washington, DC, Montgomery warned that failing to approve the budget ahead of the mid-May meeting could weaken deterrence, per CNA. Without a defense budget, you cannot deter China, he said.

Trump is expected to visit Beijing from May 14 to 15 for talks with Xi. Montgomery said Taiwan should avoid becoming an agenda item at the summit, adding that the defense bill should be settled before the meeting.

Montgomery said Taiwan needs both anti-access capabilities and advanced weapons systems. He described the proposal as “a good budget” but criticized opposition resistance.

President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has proposed an additional NT$1.26 trillion (US$40 billion) in defense spending over eight years to counter rising threats from China. The plan remains stalled in the legislature, with the KMT and TPP pushing for a scaled-down version and calling for clearer pricing details.

Montgomery warned that continued delays would undermine Taiwan’s security and strain ties with Washington. He added that passing the budget would send a clear signal of resolve at a critical moment.

He also praised Taiwan as a key partner in global supply chains, saying its semiconductor output is “the soul of the US economy.”