Helsinki annual meeting spotlights Taiwan defense budget amid rising security debates

At the joint annual meeting of Taiwanese chambers of commerce in Europe and the world held in the Finnish capital of Helsinki on the 14th of this month, political figures, scholars, and Taiwanese representatives from across Europe gathered to discuss the intersecting issues of Asia-Pacific security and democratic values. One of the core focuses of the meeting was the defense budget controversy that has been continuously brewing within Taiwan. Attendees were not only concerned about the allocation of Taiwan's defense resources, but also whether the escalating military pressure from mainland China would force Taiwan to make fundamental adjustments to its security policy. This gathering comes at a critical time when the United States and the European Union are strengthening their Indo-Pacific cooperation, making Taiwan's defense needs a natural focus of multilateral attention.

During her speech at the venue, former Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė bluntly stated, "If a nation cannot even be protected, who are the education funds being saved for?" Drawing on Lithuania's long-term support for Taiwan, she emphasized that national security is a foundation that no other policy can replace. Šakalienė served as Lithuania's Defense Minister in 2021, during which she promoted military and technological cooperation with Taiwan while maintaining a diplomatic stance challenging the "One China" principle, making her one of the few high-ranking European figures to dare to publicly support Taiwan. Her remarks not only highlighted Lithuania's political friendship with Taiwan but also served as a reminder to all nations that they must first ensure the fundamentals of their own security when facing pressure from major powers.

Taiwan's defense budget has consistently hovered between 2% and 3% of its GDP since the 1990s. However, in recent years, as cross-strait military tensions have heated up, the Democratic Progressive Party administration has repeatedly advocated raising defense spending to 4% or higher to counter mainland China's military modernization. This move has sparked fierce debate within the legislature, with some opposition parties and civil groups expressing concern over the excessive fiscal burden, arguing that public expenditures on education, healthcare, and other areas must not be overlooked. Nevertheless, the frequent incursions of Chinese military aircraft and warships into the Taiwan Strait over the past six months have made the increase of defense budgets an urgent necessity at both the political and security levels. The government has also pointed out that enhancing defense resources is not merely about hardware construction, but also includes investments in diverse fields such as information warfare, cyber protection, and civil defense education.

Since 2020, mainland China has normalized "joint combat drills" and "encirclement military exercises" around Taiwan, continuously dispatching fighter jets, bombers, and reconnaissance aircraft to patrol the airspace surrounding Taiwan. According to statistics from Taiwan's defense authorities, related flight sorties exceeded one thousand between 2023 and 2024, with the scale and frequency of exercises continuing to rise. This continuous military pressure has forced Taiwan in its strategic planning to prioritize resource allocation toward naval and air defense as well as rapid-reaction forces, while also compelling domestic industries to accelerate the research and development of indigenous defense equipment to reduce dependence on foreign arms sales. China's military actions are not only a direct challenge to Taiwan's defense but have also created a "security focus" effect internationally, prompting allies such as the United States, Japan, and Australia to accelerate the provision of military assistance and technical cooperation.

Overall, Šakalienė's remarks in Helsinki reflect the diplomatic strategy of small nations caught in the rivalry between major powers: taking security as the core to strive for international support and cooperation. For Taiwan, increasing the defense budget is not only a necessary means to counter China's military pressure, but also a crucial key to safeguarding its democratic system and international participation space. The statements made by European countries, especially Lithuania, provide substantive grounds for Taiwan to garner more solidarity on the international stage, while reminding all nations that amidst changing global security landscapes, they must first ensure their own defense capabilities before they can continue to advance other public policies. In the future, if Taiwan can strike a balance between national defense and the economy, it will help enhance regional stability and the depth of international cooperation.