WASHINGTON — The head of the US command for the Indo-Pacific region on Tuesday (April 21) stressed the importance of Taiwan passing its stalled defence budget, saying the US "can't want Taiwan's defence more than they want it itself".
"It's not a chicken and the egg, because you're not going to get chicken or eggs if you starve the chicken," Admiral Samuel Paparo told a hearing of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.
"So it's very important for them to fund their own defence," he said, when asked about the stalled talks.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te last year proposed US$40 billion (S$51 billion) in extra defence spending to counter China, which views the island as its own territory.
Taiwan's parliament, where the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party has a majority, is continuing to debate the government's plan and competing, less expensive proposals.
Washington is obliged under US law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and American senators have sought to reassure Taiwan that the US will approve another round of arms sales worth as much as US$14 billion soon.
A group of 37 bipartisan US lawmakers wrote to senior Taiwanese politicians in February expressing concern about the parliament stalling defence spending plans and a separate group of US lawmakers gave a similar message during a subsequent visit to Taipei.
"We did secure private assurances from KMT leadership that a robust defence package would eventually be approved," a Democratic congressional aide who had recently travelled to Taiwan said.
The KMT says it supports defence spending, but will not sign "blank checks" and that dialogue with Beijing is equally important.
In Taipei, ruling party lawmakers have expressed anger at the KMT for skipping defence budget talks and for its leader Cheng Li-wun visiting China, where she made a plea for peace, saying birds not missiles should fly in the skies.
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