Taipei – Taiwan aims to “deter war” by increasing its defense spending, the democratic island’s leader said on Saturday, as China uses military pressure to assert its territorial claims.
Taiwan’s 23 million people live under the constant threat of an attack by China, which insists the island is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex it.
“Our aim by increasing investment in national defence is not to provoke, rather, it is to deter war,” President Lai Ching-te said in speech to celebrate Taiwan’s National Day.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.