TAIPEI, April 9 (Reuters) – Taiwan’s parliament should pass a stalled special defence budget to send a signal to China and the world that it is serious about peace through strength, U.S. Senator Jim Banks said during a meeting with President Lai Ching-te in Taipei.
Lai last year proposed $40 billion in extra defence spending to counter China, which views the island as its own territory.
Parliament, where the opposition has a majority, is continuing to debate the government’s plan and competing, less expensive proposals.
According to a video of the meeting provided by Lai’s office, Banks, a Republican who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told him on Wednesday that the Taiwanese president was providing leadership in expanding defence spending similar to that of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has proposed $1.5 trillion in defence spending.
“But your Legislative Yuan has to do its part and pass the special budget, and that’s one message that I want to send to your leadership,” Banks added, using the formal name for Taiwan’s parliament.
“When you pass the special budget in the legislature, that is a signal to China, and to the rest of the world, that Taiwan is serious about peace through strength,” he said. “I appreciate President Lai’s leadership in making that happen.”
Banks was one of a group of 37 bipartisan U.S. lawmakers who in February wrote to senior Taiwanese politicians expressing concern about parliament stalling defence spending plans.
A separate group of U.S. lawmakers gave a similar message urging parliament to pass the defence spending during a visit to Taipei last week.
Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), is currently on a visit to China where she could meet President Xi Jinping.
The KMT says it supports defence spending but will not sign “blank cheques” and that dialogue with Beijing is equally important.
Lai told Banks that Taiwan “loved peace” but only strength could ensure it.
“Taiwan is willing to engage in dialogue, but no engagement can come at the cost of sacrificing democracy, freedom, and national interests,” he added.
China refuses to speak to Lai, saying he is a “separatist”. He rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Kate Mayberry)
