Taiwan's Lai Calls for Deeper Drone Ties With Democratic Partners

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said on Monday that the island must deepen cooperation with its democratic partners on drone development, describing unmanned systems as a critical component of modern defence.

He was speaking in Chiayi, in southern Taiwan, at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new drone development centre. Lai said the project's importance had grown amid shifting international circumstances.

"From the Ukrainian battlefield to Indo-Pacific regional security, unmanned systems have become important combat strength in modern defence," he said.

Lai added that Taiwan should work with democratic partners to build a more secure and resilient supply chain for unmanned aircraft, which he said would support peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

He pointed to Taiwan's world-class semiconductor and information and communications technology industries, along with its established precision manufacturing base, as strengths the island can draw on.

Defence modernisation and higher military spending have become central policies for Lai's government, which faces sustained military pressure from China. Beijing regards the democratically governed island as its own territory, a claim Lai and his administration reject, maintaining that only the island's people can decide their future.

Earlier this month, Taiwan's cabinet proposed an additional T$145.7 billion (US$4.59 billion) in defence spending for the year. The plans cover systems including drones and anti-ballistic missiles.

Among the proposed purchases are more than 600 coastal surveillance and reconnaissance drones, over 40,000 coastal attack drones, and the first batch of more than 100 small suicide drone boats.