US Senators Urge Taiwan to Approve $40B Defense Boost

In Taipei, a bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators urged Taiwan's parliament on Monday to approve a proposed $40 billion defense spending increase, warning that further delays could undermine the island's ability to deter mounting military pressure from China.

The four-member group, led by Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah and Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, met with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and expressed strong support for his administration's push to bolster defense capabilities. They were joined by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada. The visit, part of a broader trip to Asia including stops in Japan and South Korea, comes amid heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait, where China has intensified military exercises and political rhetoric asserting its claim over the self-governing island.

Curtis, a longtime advocate for Taiwan who once served as a missionary there, emphasized the budget's urgency during a briefing with reporters at the presidential office. "Passing of the special defense budget is very important to me and my colleagues back in Washington, D.C.," he said. "We want to make sure that...