Chris Buckley and Amy Chang Chien
A political quagmire in Taiwan has stalled plans by its president, Lai Ching-te, to sharply increase military spending, even as President Trump has pressed the island to pay more for its own defense against China’s campaign to bring it under its control.
Opposition lawmakers who dominate the legislature have blocked Mr. Lai’s ambitious proposal to spend $40 billion across eight years on military equipment from moving forward without concessions from Mr. Lai.
For Taiwan, the impasse is more than just a domestic political fight. It could raise questions about Taiwan’s ability to strengthen its defenses at a time when Mr. Trump is urging America’s allies and partners to shoulder more of the burden for their own security. Mr. Lai has pledged to lift military and security outlays to more than 3 percent of Taiwan’s economy this year to mollify the United States, the island’s chief security backer against Beijing.
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