TAIPEI -- Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Wednesday proposed a special $40 billion budget to boost the island democracy's defense capabilities, aiming to counter military pressure from China and decisively answer calls from the U.S. to spend more.
Taiwan tensions
Taiwan's Lai unveils $40bn defense budget to deter China
As regional tensions rise, president faces daunting parliamentary arithmetic
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, center, and Defense Minister Wellington Koo, left, watch a demonstration of military equipment at a defense exhibition in Taipei in September. (Anadolu via Getty Images)
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