Taiwan Announces Record Defense Budget and Technology Investment Amid Economic Growth
Taiwan's President William Lai has announced a proposed central government budget for next year that includes a significant increase in national defense spending and technology development. The total defense spending, encompassing regular and special budgets, is projected to reach NT$1.12 trillion, exceeding 3 percent of GDP for the first time. President Lai emphasized that 'Investing in national defense is investing in peace,' underscoring the government's commitment to bolstering Taiwan’s defense capabilities to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the wider region. Additionally, the government plans to allocate NT$229.2 billion to technology development programs, a 12.7 percent increase from the current year. This investment will focus on sectors such as semiconductor, information and communications technology (ICT), and manufacturing supply chains, driven by rising global demand for artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing, and cloud services. The economic growth ha... 
