by Francis Tuschek, Staff Writer
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen stated on Saturday that the U.S. should focus on assisting Ukraine, despite the potential threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
“They should do everything possible to support the Ukrainians,” Tsai remarked at the forum. “We [Taiwan] still have time.”
Her comments at the Halifax International Security Forum followed remarks from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. Samuel Paparo, who noted that supplying weapons to Ukraine has started to impact the U.S. military’s readiness for a potential conflict in Asia.
“Until this year, the majority of weapon deployments were mainly artillery and short-range arms, and I had said: ‘Not at all,’” Paparo explained at a Brookings Institution event earlier in the week. “However, with the deployment of some Patriots and air-to-air missiles, it is now depleting our stockpiles.”
Tsai, who stepped down in January and handed over power to Vice President William Lai, was also honored at the Halifax conference for her leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Although Taiwan relies significantly on U.S. arms purchases and military assistance for its defense, Tsai emphasized that American backing for Ukraine would act as a deterrent against Chinese aggression. “A Ukrainian victory will be the most effective deterrent to future global aggression,” she stated.
Taiwanese officials have indicated that the island has increased its defense spending by 80 percent over the past eight years, reaching a record $19 billion in 2024.
However, this has not satisfied President-elect Donald Trump, who has suggested that Taiwan “should pay” more and called for defense spending to rise to 10 percent of GDP. Tsai did not directly address whether Taipei should meet that target, saying, “We would have some difficulty accepting an arbitrary figure.”
