TAIPEI (TVBS News) — William Brent Christensen, former director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT, 美國在台協會), Taiwan's de facto U.S. embassy, dismissed as "impractical" a proposal for Taiwan to raise its defense budget to 10% of GDP during a panel discussion on Thursday (April 10) in Washington. Christensen made his remarks at a talk from the Global Taiwan Institute (GTI), a Washington-based think tank focused on Taiwan policy issues.
The former top U.S. official in Taiwan pointed out that Taiwan's current military spending calculations might not incorporate civil defense expenditures. His comments emerge as Taiwan's defense budget receives increasing scrutiny from American lawmakers and policy experts. Elbridge Colby, nominated as the next under-secretary of defense for policy, has recently advocated that Taiwan should allocate nearly 10% of its GDP toward defense spending.
Russell Hsiao (蕭良其), executive director of GTI, contextualized Colby's "10% of GDP" recommendation, explaining it aligns with Colby's consistent promotion of a "denial strategy" in regional defense planning. According to Hsiao, this strategic approach necessitates American military involvement and must be implemented within reasonable financial parameters. The debate reflects growing concerns about Taiwan's defense readiness amid regional tensions.
A recent report published by GTI advised Taiwanese political leaders against turning defense matters into partisan issues. The document also called on the United States government to accelerate the delivery of essential defense resources and services critical to maintaining Taiwan's security posture. These recommendations come as Taiwan faces increasing pressure to strengthen its defensive capabilities. ★