Taiwan Officials Urge Legislature to Review 2026 General Budget
Taiwan’s 2026 general budget is still awaiting legislative review, but with both political camps in a stalemate over what the bill should include, it faces a rough road ahead. Officials are now warning lawmakers about the national security and other risks of the stalled funding.
Taiwan's 2026 Budget Stalemate Raises National Security Concerns
REPORTER:
With Taiwan’s political parties at a stalemate over this year’s budget, the legislature has invited officials from across the government to address its impact on national security.
REPORTER:
Defense spending accounts for a large part of the budget under debate – around 18 billion US dollars.
The defense ministry says if that money isn’t approved, it would severely undermine Taiwan’s deterrence and asymmetric capabilities, including its ability to procure critical Stinger and Javelin missiles. It says it would also affect funding for frontline personnel, like those who operate Taiwan’s fleet of F-16 fighters.
Whether it’s the annual budget or the special [defense] budget we hope the legislature will send our budget to the relevant committee so it can start being reviewed. As I said before we are willing to carefully compile the budget with legislative oversight.
REPORTER:
Without budget approval, Taiwan’s coast guard could also face funding shortfalls, including money to upgrade aging surveillance systems and to support an AI-based platform aimed at strengthening information security and improving coordination between government agencies.
The Ocean Affairs Council, which oversees the coast guard, is calling for public support.
From [2022] up to this latest round of military drills Taiwan’s Coast Guard has responded to seven Chinese military exercises. We are a highly disciplined, highly efficient and highly professional force. So I want to call on the public to trust the navy and to trust the armed forces. We have the capability to deal with all military activities and gray-zone harassment in the waters around us.
REPORTER:
The 2026 budget stalemate comes as Taiwan’s ruling and opposition parties remain divided over a separate special defense budget worth 40 billion US dollars, the biggest on record.
It also comes just after China carried out large-scale military drills around Taiwan, a move the ruling party says underscores the urgency of passing the proposed budget.
Officials say it's not just security that the stalled budget could affect. Train services and disaster relief could also be on the line. The ruling party is now pressing lawmakers to approve the proposed funding as soon as possible.
