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submitted 2 days ago by NightOwl@lemmy.ca to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml

Currently, Taiwan has set an increase in its defense budget to 3.3% of its GDP for 2026, allocating $949.5 billion Taiwan dollars ($31.18 billion). U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded Taiwan raise its defense spending to as much as 10% of GDP, a proportion well above what the U.S. or any of its major allies spend.

Lai had previewed the announcement in an op-ed for The Washington Post on Wednesday, saying the special budget would be used to purchase arms from the U.S. He told reporters Wednesday, however, that the budget has nothing to do with the government’s tariff negotiations with the U.S.

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[-] dogbert@lemmy.zip 32 points 2 days ago

If anyone needed more proof that Taiwan is a glorified US military base, here it is lol.

[-] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmy.ml 18 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

It's not even glorified, not long ago there was a scandal where US sold them faulty supplies and equipment. Given that US MIC scalp vassals even worse than their own military, those 40 billion will likely not give them very much.

[-] falseWhite@piefed.world -5 points 2 days ago

True. But I don't think they have much of a choice. Just a little guy caught between two bullies, China and the USA. Not sure which is better to side with for them. If they give up to China they basically lose their independence.

[-] BrainInABox@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 day ago

Western liberals used to maintain that The West was noble and virtuous in order to maintain it's ongoing domination of the world. Once it became too hard to do that anymore without looking ridiculous, they simply shifted to asserting that all of the West's enemies are just as bad or worse.

[-] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 day ago

Rules based world order? Rules for thee, not mee apparently. The Ukraine War is the official end of nuclear non proliferation. Get nukes or get fucked.

[-] gary_host_laptop@lemmy.ml 22 points 2 days ago

The ROC doesn't want independence, they claim that the mainland belongs to them, essentially they share the same posture, there is one China, it's just a difference of who rules. The bourgeoisie, or the proletariat.

[-] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

No one should rule. The working class should discard the artifical borders dividing them against themselves.

Do you feel represented by your nation state?

[-] Grapho@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 day ago

Eventually, sure. But we're not at a place politically where that is feasible or even desirable.

[-] dogbert@lemmy.zip 17 points 2 days ago

They aren’t caught between anything. Taiwan is very much aligned with western imperial countries. It’s basically an island that all the wealthy capitalists ran away to after China imposed economic democracy. They love America and America loves them.

[-] kindred@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)
[-] RiverRock@lemmy.ml 17 points 2 days ago

They are not thinking of those places, but it is kind of helpful of you to point out other countries where the US empire has repeated the same strategy

[-] dogbert@lemmy.zip 6 points 2 days ago

USA has something like 800 army bases located outside the USA. No other country has even 1 I believe. South Korea is another country that is essentially a US proxy state.

[-] Edie@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

China has a naval one in Djibouti.

[-] kindred@lemmy.dbzer0.com -2 points 2 days ago

I was talking about the wealthy capitalists

It’s basically an island that all the wealthy capitalists ran away to after China imposed economic democracy.

[-] yogthos@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

You mean they imposed economic dictatorship where capitalist own businesses and decide how they operate in autocratic manner. Economic democracy would be literally the opposite of capitalism where you have publicly owned industry and worker cooperatives where workers are able to exercise democratic control.

[-] dogbert@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 days ago

My bad. I see what you mean now.

[-] kindred@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 days ago

I think I see what you mean about Taiwan as a proxy state for the US.

I don't think they see themselves as that, but they do basically owe their continued independence from China to the fact that the US values them as a pawn in the battle for global power.

[-] mrdown@lemmy.world 0 points 2 days ago

What if the USA backstab them like it did with Ukrqine under Trump?

this post was submitted on 26 Nov 2025
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