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News & Current Events May 11, 2026 at 9:04 AM

US disappointed in Taiwan's smaller defense budget, official says

Posted by charliehu1226

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TemporarySun314 May 11, 2026 +449
And the world is disappointed that the US elected Trump twice and started a pointless war. I guess nobody can be happy.
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Hilarious_Disastrous May 11, 2026 +108
Not everything is about Trump. The pro-Beijing opposition party, which commands a slim majority with the backing of a coalition partner, is blocking the government's defense budget. This came after the opposition's chairwoman pays a personal visit to see China's Xi Jinping. Well, you can read it as Trump's shitty leadership causes a collapse of confidence in US reliability as a an ally in Taiwan, if you want. But the four month long stalling of the defense budget appears highly unpopular domestically in Taiwan.
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_Didds_ May 11, 2026 +12
Sadly this message will get diluted over a really bad press title. US affairs aside it’s troublesome that the Pro-Beijing opposition can get this far without virtual no consequences. The entire defense of Taiwan can pretty much be at stake here and China knows it well. I can see Beijing wanting to test the waters and see how much of a response it would get from taking one of the disputed coastal islands or setting up some sort of blockade when realistically there would be very few means to stop it. It’s troublesome that Taiwan may need to impose more strict, almost dictatorial level, actions in order to make sure a minor opposition can’t put an entire country at risk of invasion. Really worrying when stuff like this happens, especially to a country that just deserves to be left alone and have piece in the region.
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pepehandreee May 12, 2026 +10
If “minor opposition” u r referring to is KMT, it has more seat in RoC Parliament than the president’s DPP, lol, or do u think democracy only count when voters r pro DPP? KMT has 1 more seat than DPP, none has majority in the parliament so the actual minor party plays a role. Tsai has attempted a recall campaign that ends in complete failure. So this is democracy functions as intended. And the suggestion that they should go full dictatorship is hilarious. Might as well just “return to China” by that point.
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SuccessfulPres May 12, 2026 +1
> US affairs aside it’s troublesome that the Pro-Beijing opposition can get this far How is it troublesome? The KMT GOT THIS FAR BY BEING DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED.
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Cabbage-braise May 13, 2026 +1
Yeah Taiwan needs like..a special emergency period where the constitution is suspended totally and it is under the tutelage of a single party..maybe we will call it something as "people's tutelage". But we will only do it temporarily until we deem the people are ready for democracy. I wonder if anyone has done that in Taiwan before..
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DDoubleDDog May 11, 2026 -50
If you think this war is senseless, then you don't care about the tens of thousands of victims of the Islamic Republic's acts of mass murder, torture, r***, child abuse, kidnapping, war crimes and terrorism. If you think this war is senseless, then you don't care about the millions of innocent Iranians who are forced to suffer under brutal tyranny. If you think this war is senseless, then you don't care about the women who are tortured, abused, arrested and raped for not covering their hair. If you think this war is senseless, then you don't care about all the young boys who are forced to become child soldiers or the young girls who are forced to marry old pedos. If you think this war is senseless, then you don't care about freedom or democracy. If you are actively trying to stop this war, then you are enabling more of the regime's atrocities and are essentially saying you approve of those atrocities.
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Shoend May 11, 2026 +12
One can both find the Iranian regime to be evil and the war to be senseless. If the goal was to take out the regime, this war is clearly not working.
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gearstars May 11, 2026 +5
When did regime change become the stated goal of the war?
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DDoubleDDog May 11, 2026 -11
When did you start ignoring the regime's atrocities? You think it's ok for the regime to continue these atrocities?
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gearstars May 11, 2026 +6
What does that have to do with my question? Is regime change the goal of the war or not?
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DDoubleDDog May 11, 2026 -10
What does your question have to do with what I said?
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gearstars May 11, 2026 +3
Because you listed out the atrocities of the regime as a "justification" for supporting the war and implying that it wasn't "senseless" because it would end those atrocities. But regime change doesn't appear to be the goal of the war? That's what I originally asked you to clarify. So if regime change isn't the end goal that is actively being pursued, what is the point of the war and what is the end goal?
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DDoubleDDog May 11, 2026
Everything so far indicates regime change is the goal. The regime's navy and air force are destroyed. Their military industrial complex is destroyed. The IRGC and Basij have been crippled. Their economy is being destroyed by the blockade and sanctions. Everything the US and Israel have done during the war is designed to hasten the collapse of the regime and make it weak enough for the Iranian people to rebel successfully.
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gearstars May 11, 2026 +3
Except that's not what's happening. Where are you getting your sources? Cause, like: >Iran can withstand Trump’s blockade for months and retains 70% of its missiles, says US intelligence https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/middle-east/iran-us-blockade-economy-cia-trump-b2972849.html >The analysis on 15 April predicted that Iran is unlikely to be impacted by the blockade anytime in the near future due to “substantial volumes already on the water”, Kpler’s senior crude analyst Johannes Rauball told The Independent at the time. >Tehran also retains 75 per cent of its prewar inventories of mobile launchers and around 70 per cent of its prewar stockpiles of missiles, a US official said. The intelligence runs contrary to president Trump’s statements about the country’s rapidly diminishing weapons cache. It seems like if regime change is the goal they are going about it in the worst way. It's more like the US started it without foresight or clear mission goals and doesn't seem to know what to do now that the Iranian government didn't immediately capitulate. Like, calling the war "senseless" isn't supporting the Iranian gov, or not supporting the end of their horribleness, it just means that the US made a huge blunder without a clear plan that is having global impacts.
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Hilarious_Disastrous May 11, 2026 +3
Trump had said he wanted to "get" Iran's oil. Seeing as he did nothing to free Venezuela after Maduro's removal, an easy resource grab was the simplest and most likely explanation for Trump's attack on Iran. Except it's not going the way he hoped.
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DDoubleDDog May 12, 2026 +1
The notion that the US has no plan is ridiculous. I watched retired US General Jack Keane explain that while he was working at the Pentagon, him and the other generals made many plans to invade Iran and practiced them several times in war games. The Pentagon has many plans for invading Iran. They are well prepared to do this. The US is winning and the Islamic Republic will collapse soon. The regime has lost most of its income, most of its military and most of its allies. The vast majority of Iranians hate the regime and are just waiting for the signal to resume their revolution. Now that the people are armed and the regime has been crippled, the Iranian people have a good chance of toppling the regime.
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cap10JTKirk May 11, 2026 +4
Yes, let's turn a blind eye to the genocide Israel is commiting as we speak as well, with in its borders and attacking it's neighbours. Something they would not carry out if America didn't allow. This war is senseless and is creating generations of distrust a hate towards America and Israel and will only further radicalized more young minds. And to comment on the pedophilia when the president of the US is a child Rapist is just rich. No party involved is innocent. But to think America is there because of the oppression of the Iranian people is ridiculously nieve.
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just-comic May 11, 2026 +3
None of that is a concern for the chief in fool.
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DDoubleDDog May 11, 2026 -1
I'm talking about OP, not Trump. OP is the one who doesn't care about those things.
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Skythewood May 11, 2026 +99
US disappointed by smaller arms sales number.
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iwasuncoolonce May 11, 2026 +71
The United States is 30 billion behind in filling orders for Taiwan
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fec2245 May 11, 2026 +41
Ironically you got it exactly backwards. Taiwan approved the budget for purchases from the US as the US has a growing backlog and they worried if they didn't move on that they'd be further down the list. The largest party in Taiwan (and the US) wanted Taiwan to invest more in indigenous production.
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Skythewood May 11, 2026 -24
Oh, I guess the article needs to change its title then. "US relieved by Taiwan's smaller defense budget"
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fec2245 May 11, 2026 +17
No, the US wanted Taiwan to invest in domestic production.
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Skythewood May 11, 2026 -20
Let's try changing it again. "US limits arms sales to Taiwan to spur Taiwan domestic weapon production. Taiwan scramble to set up fighter planes and defense missile factories."
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fec2245 May 11, 2026 +17
That wouldn't be accurate either. Maybe you should read a few more articles on the situation before trying to write headlines.
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Hilarious_Disastrous May 11, 2026 +2
No, the legislature funded the US arms sales that Washington has already approved, and the opposition promised to pass the remainder after the Americans did their leters of offering and acceptance. Washington and the government in Taipei are both displeased that the legislature voted against domestic drones, counter-drone sytstems and shell production.
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rbobby May 11, 2026 +14
Buy more of our weapons our we're gonna start a few more wars. edit: that comment was banned by the AI auto-moderation stuff. Reversed on appeal... but what a pain.
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Settra_Rulez May 11, 2026 -1
Not what it’s about.
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shaka893P May 11, 2026 +18
Isn't the US late on the last arms delivery to them?
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magneticanisotropy May 11, 2026 +11
This is about Taiwan cutting domestic production funding afaik
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GravitasFailures May 11, 2026 +8
Taiwan (or more accurately their elite, particularly the business elite) has effectively resigned itself to re-integration with China, the goal is now to negotiate terms that allow them to keep their money and freedom, potentially offshore. It’s a shame, but the belief among them is “China is too valuable for business”, so they’re completely willing to sell out their country in exchange for money. Honestly seems stupid and short-sighted to me, where the hell are you going to spend the money if the CCP has tentacles everywhere?
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VegetableWishbone May 11, 2026 +15
China is the largest luxury goods market in the world and you are asking where they are going to spend their money? You can buy anything money can buy in China nowadays.
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Fresh_Boysenberry576 May 11, 2026 +24
There are plenty of rich people in China who enjoy spending their money on anything from luxury goods, foreign cars, nice homes, etc. What do you think would change in that regard for Taiwanese?
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GravitasFailures May 11, 2026 +11
Those “rich people” can and are taken by the CCP if they do anything mildly offensive, unless they’re able to escape. There’s a name for truly rich Chinese people, it’s “Singaporean”.
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I_wanna_trade May 11, 2026 +24
I bet you there are a lot of people who would happily accept what is basically infinite money if all they had to do was not talk shit about the CCP. It sucks from a freedom pov, but these people are not really worried about this. This is the case not just in China FWIW
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GravitasFailures May 11, 2026 -11
Oh, I agree, I just think the Taiwanese are especially short-sighted, given they just saw Hong Kong’s fate.
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Fresh_Boysenberry576 May 11, 2026 +10
That's a different argument. The argument was that rich Taiwanese people shouldn't want unification with China because they wouldn't be to spend their money, which doesn't make sense. There are other reasons why unification with China is bad for them but lack of spending options doesn't strike me as a good argument. Also Singapore isn't exactly a haven of freedom either. They also punish citizens for what we would consider mild infractions in the west.
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Eclipsed830 May 11, 2026 +16
>Taiwan (or more accurately their elite, particularly the business elite) has effectively resigned itself to re-integration with China, the goal is now to negotiate terms that allow them to keep their money and freedom, potentially offshore. This is so far from the reality. TSMC barely has a footprint in China, and [Robert Tsao (UMC billionaire) is literally funding a private army to defend Taiwan against China](https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202209010014). Otherwise most of the elites are from the financial industry and make most of their money here.
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GravitasFailures May 11, 2026 -4
That’s what I thought, but Foxconn and other investor classes are pushing the other way, they fear being cut off from Chinese markets (lol, what Chinese markets) if they hold out. I think they’re insane, but you can’t argue insane people don’t exist.
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Eclipsed830 May 11, 2026 +1
Foxconn has been divesting from China for about a decade now... China was once responsible for 80% of their total manufacturing, and now it is down to less than half. The numbers continue to drop has new Foxconn projects in Vietnam, India, and Mexico come online.
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DDoubleDDog May 11, 2026 +2
No, Taiwan is not going to reintegrate into China.
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TheLeapIsALie May 11, 2026 -4
Trump doesn’t help the situation. Taiwan has remained independent because the threat of unified western sanctions and cutting off of gas is one of the few things China feared. But with western alliances frayed and the US notably embarrassed by Iran, Taiwan doesn’t feel it has a safety net.
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GravitasFailures May 11, 2026 -6
I agree. Ukraine helped Taiwan, it scared China into understanding how hard an invasion actually was. Trump basically pushed it back the other way, now we “look like morons so maybe it’s China’s time after all”.
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tradetofi May 11, 2026 +7
\>>Ukraine helped Taiwan, it scared China into understanding how hard an invasion actually was. I do not think so. China always knows how difficult it is . Otherwize it would have had a move a while ago.
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GravitasFailures May 11, 2026 -4
No, they didn’t know, Xi doesn’t understand anything military, he wanted to start in 2022 after HK was stabilized. The PLAN said they needed 5 years (they needed 15 minimum, probably more now), which is why he purged them recently when they told him they weren’t ready. Putin figured he could take out Ukraine quickly, show how weak the west was after Afghanistan, and then Xi could take Taiwan, paralyzing the west with fear. That didn’t quite work out.
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tradetofi May 11, 2026 +8
Bro talked as as if he was listening under Xi's bed. Stop pulling things out of your ass!
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GravitasFailures May 11, 2026 -1
No, these are actual IR positions, this is why people were really nervous in 2022, especially around the Olympics. Also why Ukraine was so terrifying, the fear was a success would lead to Taiwan’s blockade, which could lead to more problems, especially after Afghanistan. Thankfully, Ukraine stood, while Russia Russia’d, but it was close nonetheless.
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Tesl May 11, 2026 +4
Out of genuine curiosity, where do you get your information from?
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GravitasFailures May 11, 2026 +1
I was on a bunch of IR forums and followed a bunch of think tanks and professors back then, I quit caring after that, but it was like this really sensitive moment and everyone was really worried about where China was going to go after Covid, especially after HK fell. Fortunately Russia Russia’d, as is tradition.
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ppitm May 12, 2026 +1
So a bunch of IR dorks thought that the results of Russia's war had some bearing on China's decision to launch a completely different war? Classic, haha
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GravitasFailures May 12, 2026
If Kyiv had fallen, tell me China would not start a blockade of Taiwan, to make it a 2 front confrontation against the west. The domestic pressure on Xi would have been insurmountable, and I say this as someone who spent more time there than I would like (and spent time in Taiwan too, gorgeous land). Lot of Listnook keyboard warriors talk about stuff they cannot begin to understand.
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ppitm May 12, 2026 +1
> If Kyiv had fallen, tell me China would not start a blockade of Taiwan, to make it a 2 front confrontation against the west. If Kyiv had fallen, then the war would have been over, instead of dragging on for more than four years. The West was ready to write the Zelensky government off entirely, with U.S. and European leaders privately telling the Ukrainians that they would be gone in two weeks. So the resulting confrontation would have been less acute than it actually is now. And it is in fact Russia's failure that created more fertile ground for kinetic action against Taiwan, by prolonging economic pain in Europe and demanding U.S. resources. But China did not opt to do anything, understanding that they were not in fact ready for such a dangerous gamble.
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fartyunicorns May 11, 2026
This is a valid concern. Ukraine spent 2014-2022 heavily investing in and restructuring their military because they knew the threat Russia was. That sense of urgency is not there in Taiwan as much. Just because trump is bad doesn't make that any less true
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SuccessfulPres May 12, 2026 +1
Taiwan has spent the last 50 years arming itself. It will be fine. Taiwan increased its defense spending by $25 billion, so headline is misleading.
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SailYourFace May 11, 2026 +1
Oh. I read the actual article and an ‘anonymous IS official’ is disappointing that Taiwan increased its defense spending by $25 billion but that is only 2/3 of what the US thinks it should be increased by…
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whereisyourwaifunow May 11, 2026 +1
The article has few details about the actual situation. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the largest new party that arose after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) ended 40 years of dictatorship and martial law in Taiwan, currently has the executive branch. The KMT was the remnant of the Republic of China government that lost their civil war against the CCP, and retreated to Taiwan. They have a small majority in the legislative branch. The defense budget has been delayed and reduced by the KMT. From my layman's understanding, there are multiple possible reasons for the delay. Officially, it's because the KMT claims the DPP budget does not spend responsibly or has enough accountability, or needs more guarantees from the US arms deliveries (multiple recent deliveries have been very late). Other reasons could be political, if the KMT wants to blame the DPP in the next election cycle for not preparing adequate defenses against China. Or because many of their leadership is pro-unification and want closer relations with the CCP. The KMT chairwoman met with Xi last month. She has said things like "I am Chinese," "Taiwan is part of China."
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S1gorJabjong May 11, 2026 -12
Having a larger budget doesn't automatically mean having a capable military. The US proved that with Iran. So, do kindly eat your own words and f*** off please.
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tradetofi May 11, 2026 +8
The US is a very capable military.
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fec2245 May 11, 2026 +16
The problem in Iran isn't limitations of the US military, its the lack of strategy.
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CMDR_Kassandra May 11, 2026 -9
Some would consider a lack of strategy to be a limitation.
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fec2245 May 11, 2026 +14
The overarching strategy (or lack their of) comes from our civilian leadership. There's no amount of defense spending that can prevent the president from doing something dumb.
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Gustomucho May 11, 2026 -2
This. Clearly having a bajillion in military capacity is not everything when you piss off all your allies.
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LordSigdis May 11, 2026 -1
War is not just about military. It's about strategy. Trump has no strategy, even though the US Military is the best in the world, while Iran is greatly defended naturally and physically and has prepared for this for many decades. An idiot wielding a bazooka will only blow himself up and his opponent shall win even if he only holds a toothpick. Edit: down voters, please name what you think is a superior military to the American one, and provide some reasonable backing up to that claim.
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tradetofi May 11, 2026 -10
\>> Trump has no strategy Listnook Generals told you?
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LordSigdis May 11, 2026 +4
Only generals left since trump fired all the real ones
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50bmg May 11, 2026 +1
The US can't refill its own inventories, let alone arm Taiwan anymore. Taiwan can't outspend China no matter what they do, they can only hope to make the cost of invasion too high to try. It's possible that Taiwan has already achieved that, which leaves hybrid/grey zone type conflict (cyber warfare, espionage, propaganda, blockades, reef/island construction, extreme economic and geopolitical pressure) as the most likely option for China. And if that's the conclusion - then it makes sense to invest slightly less in overt arms production and more in hardening against the other avenues.
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mammalmaker May 11, 2026 +2
What a surprise. Meeting with Xi and they start the anti-Taiwan campaign.
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g0ggy May 11, 2026 -8
Not surprising after everyone has seen how well US weaponry works against Iran. Taiwan will end up conquered very quickly if all they have are over priced rockets against endless swarms of drones.
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sumregulaguy May 11, 2026 +7
If Russian invasion of Ukraine and operation Blind Fury showed anything it's that it's not at all easy for a country with a much bigger military conquer another with a much smaller one.
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Bluedroid May 11, 2026 +5
Not sure how you came up to that conclusion. The US's aim wasn't to conquer iran, if they actually wanted to take over they would have knocked out every oil producing asset, every powerplant, water decal plant and grinded a country to a complete halt early on. If Russia had the same technological advantage over Ukraine they'd have won a long time ago.
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This_Robot May 11, 2026 +5
This is a laughably bad take. You're saying US armament isn't helping Ukraine? You're saying that the Stingers weren't a boon to the Mujahedeen? You're saying that everyone's stupid for eyeing up American military equipment that have been proven in battle? US weaponry works well alright. Many evidence of it. All of it simply depends on the user and their strategy with it.
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g0ggy May 11, 2026 -3
You're saying a lot of things I didn't say and bringing up the mujahideen in a conflict over 40 years later is crazy. That's almost as relevant as the grandpa in the White House.
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This_Robot May 11, 2026 -1
So what were you trying to say? From what I can tell, you're trying to say American weaponry is no better than overpriced toys. Which it isn't. Also, really? Of all the things to say that's irrelevant you choose the president of the United States?
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g0ggy May 11, 2026
> So what were you trying to say? That US arms aren't good enough to solve modern conflicts. > Of all the things to say that's irrelevant you choose the president of the United States? Oh, he's relevant. At starting wars and keeping them going. Not so much at solving and preventing them.
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Wayofchinchilla May 11, 2026
Who writes these headlines the US? No Trump is disappointed. The man whose brain functions about as well as a rotten tangerine doesn't understand why other countries don't spend almost their entire GDP on their military.
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Fearless_Ad_5470 May 11, 2026 -1
Yeee, just like the military-industrial complex always complains that they haven't squeezed American taxpayers' wallets dry. 
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