Taiwan defense procurement and US military cooperation

Taiwan is actively working to strengthen its defense capabilities through domestic production and increased military cooperation with the United States. President Lai Ching-te has requested a 60 billion TWD package to fund locally manufactured drones and enhance industrial autonomy, supported by new research and production facilities at the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology.

At the same time, Taiwan is seeking to expedite a 14 billion USD weapons package from the United States. Defense Minister Wellington Koo has addressed reports suggesting the U.S. might divide this potential sale into smaller batches, stating that Taipei has received no such information. Koo emphasized that Washington has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities and noted that Taiwan respects the U.S. review process.

The potential package, which reportedly includes Patriot interceptors and NASAMS advanced air defense systems, has faced scrutiny following meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump has previously described the arms sales as a ‘very good negotiating chip’ in efforts to maintain trade relations and diplomatic stability with Beijing. While analysts suggest geopolitical negotiations could delay the full package, Koo maintained that military and defense exchanges remain close to support war-preparedness.

In terms of bilateral cooperation, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has implemented a twelve-fold increase in the budget for the ‘Taiwan-US Ministry of Defense Joint Cooperation Assessment’ project, raising it to approximately 152.5 million TWD. This increase covers personnel, consulting, and research equipment, though some legislators have called for greater fiscal oversight regarding the surge in spending.