{"id":66200,"date":"2026-02-12T16:55:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T21:55:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/12\/us-lawmakers-warn-taiwan-to-meet-the-moment-as-china-stages-invasion-style-drills\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T16:55:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T21:55:21","slug":"us-lawmakers-warn-taiwan-to-meet-the-moment-as-china-stages-invasion-style-drills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/12\/us-lawmakers-warn-taiwan-to-meet-the-moment-as-china-stages-invasion-style-drills\/","title":{"rendered":"US lawmakers warn Taiwan to \u2018meet the moment\u2019 as China stages invasion-style drills"},"content":{"rendered":"

FIRST ON FOX:<\/strong> A bipartisan group of senior U.S. lawmakers is urging Taiwan to dramatically boost its defense spending<\/a>, warning that political gridlock in Taipei risks undermining deterrence as China escalates military pressure around the island.<\/p>\n

Sens. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and Chris Coons, D-Del., along with Reps. Young Kim, R-Calif., and Ami Bera, D-Calif., are sending a letter from 34 lawmakers and counting on Thursday to leaders of Taiwan\u2019s Legislative Yuan expressing “serious concerns” that a proposed special defense budget could be only partially funded.<\/p>\n

“We hope you will support a robust, multiyear special defense budget\u2026 that adequately meet(s) the moment and send(s) a clear signal of Taiwan\u2019s will to defend itself,” the lawmakers wrote.<\/p>\n

The warning comes as Taiwan\u2019s president<\/a>, Lai Ching-te, pushes for a major multiyear defense package aimed at strengthening the island\u2019s asymmetric warfare capabilities \u2014 including missiles, air defense systems, drones and reserve force training \u2014 designed to make any Chinese invasion or blockade far more costly.<\/p>\n

US MOVE ON VENEZUELA SPARKS TAIWAN COMPARISONS AS LAWMAKERS DEBATE CHINA THREAT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

But the proposal has become entangled in a fierce domestic political battle.<\/p>\n

Opposition parties that control Taiwan\u2019s legislature have resisted fully approving the special defense budget, arguing for revisions and greater oversight. The standoff has fueled concern in Washington that delays could weaken Taiwan\u2019s readiness at a time when Beijing is intensifying military operations near the island.<\/p>\n

China’s People\u2019s Liberation Army has conducted multiple large-scale exercises around Taiwan in recent months, including drills simulating encirclement and blockade operations. Chinese aircraft routinely cross the median line of the Taiwan Strait and enter Taiwan\u2019s Air Defense Identification Zone, while Chinese vessels have increased activity in surrounding waters.<\/p>\n

Chinese President Xi Jinping <\/a>repeatedly has refused to rule out the use of force to bring Taiwan under Beijing\u2019s control.<\/p>\n

“The threat posed by the People\u2019s Republic of China against Taiwan has never been greater,” the U.S. lawmakers wrote, citing growing military pressure and coercive actions designed to “undermine Taiwan\u2019s will to resist.”<\/p>\n

The letter also acknowledges mounting frustration in Washington over delays in U.S. weapons deliveries<\/a> to Taiwan, noting that the United States must address its own “massive backlog” of approved arms sales.<\/p>\n

CHINA\u2019S ENERGY SIEGE OF TAIWAN COULD CRIPPLE US SUPPLY CHAINS, REPORT WARNS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

“For our part, the U.S. must address the massive backlog in weapons deliveries to Taiwan,” the lawmakers wrote. “You have our commitment\u2026 to ensure Taiwan gets the capabilities it needs, faster. Likewise, we need Taiwan to step up with us.”<\/p>\n

Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. is committed to providing Taiwan with defensive weapons but maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity” over whether American forces would directly intervene in a conflict.<\/p>\n

The budget debate in Taipei now carries outsized geopolitical weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Supporters of Lai\u2019s proposal argue that failing to fund the full package could send the wrong signal to Beijing about Taiwan\u2019s resolve. Critics counter that defense spending must be carefully scrutinized and balanced against domestic priorities.<\/p>\n

As China continues high-profile military drills around the island, U.S. lawmakers are making clear they believe the moment demands urgency.<\/p>\n

“Both the United States and Taiwan must do more to deter PRC aggression,” the letter states.<\/p>\n

Whether Taiwan\u2019s divided legislature ultimately delivers the funding Lai is seeking could shape not only cross-strait tensions, but Washington\u2019s confidence in the island\u2019s long-term defense posture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FIRST ON FOX: A bipartisan group of senior U.S. lawmakers is urging Taiwan to dramatically boost its defense spending, warning that political gridlock in Taipei risks undermining deterrence as China escalates military pressure around the island. Sens. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and Chris Coons, D-Del., along with Reps. Young Kim, R-Calif., and Ami Bera, D-Calif., are … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66200"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66200\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news2shorts.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}