Taiwan must demonstrate its resolve to defend itself and pass a six-year, T$210 billion ($6.6 billion) special budget to buy military drones, President Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) ahead of a crucial vote in the Opposition-controlled Parliament.
Mr. Taiwan’s Government says the plans to buy some 2,10,000 new military drones cannot wait, given the wars in Ukraine and West Asia have shown the importance of uncrewed weapons in modern warfare. But the Opposition, which controls parliament, has put forward its own proposals to cap spending each year at T$40 billion, drawn from the annual budget and overseen by the economy, not defence, ministry.
The government says with the threat from China, which views the democratically governed island as its own territory, the drones are urgently needed to turn any conflict zone into a “hellscape” for the Chinese military. Lai said that, in light of the evolution of modern warfare, drones have become a key component in the military’s efforts to build its “asymmetric” combat capability.
Pre-vote lawmaker meeting
He also said the annual spending cap of T$40 billion would prevent Taiwan from effectively building up drone combat capabilities, as the ministry already planned to spend T$42.1 billion on drones in 2027 alone.
Lai Shyh-bao, a senior lawmaker from the largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, told the meeting that their proposal was the more practical one. Defence Minister Wellington Koo has said the government plan would still involve annual procurement and regular upgrades, rather than a one-off bulk purchase.
