Record Defense Budget Could Face Legislative Hurdles - Aug. 21, 2026
By TaiwanPlus
Taiwan proposes a record US$35 billion defense budget for 2027, but it may face opposition from the legislature. The UK's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham's stance on Taiwan remains unclear after his first month in office, while some of his advisors have faced scrutiny over their ties to China. And representatives from some of Taiwan's major cities form a cross-party association to boost municipal governance and diplomacy. Plus: - Two prominent Hong Kong activists face up to 10 years in jail after being convicted of organizing vigils for the victims of China's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. - The Grand Kyiv Ballet makes its Taiwan debut with a staging of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake in Taipei. - Taiwan prepares to send a female jiujiteiro to Nagoya, Japan to compete in the Asian Games for the first time.
