Taiwan's Defense Budget Questioned Amid Manpower Shortage

A lawmaker stated that protecting Taiwan is the most issue and that if there is no way to defend Taiwan, then there should be no discussion of peace. The majority party in Taiwan's legislature insists on a budget of 380 billion New Taiwan dollars plus an additional amount, stating that the idea of an 800 billion budget has always been a minority opinion. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an announced an upgrade to the childcare subsidy program, "Childcare Reduction Without Salary Reduction 2.0." The maximum subsidy amount has been increased from NT$100,000 to NT$200,000. Heavy rainfall is expected across Taiwan, particularly in the Hualien and Taitung lines. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense is reportedly most interested in acquiring F-35 fighter jets, though the United States has not offered them for sale. The discussion around F-35s for Taiwan is ongoing. There is a debate about whether spending more on defense equates to greater patriotism, with a call to avoid falling into such traps. Scrutiny is focused on commercial trade and domestic procurement, with a desire to increase procurement power through regular budgets to prevent tragedies. Taiwan's planned increase in defense spending is not unique, as Japan, South Korea, NATO countries, and Middle Eastern nations are also adjusting their military expenditures. Despite a defense budget, there is a severe shortage of military personnel. The commentator argued that the focus should be on recruiting and retaining personnel before acquiring expensive equipment. The lack of trained operators for purchased machinery was cited as a reason for not maximizing combat effectiveness.