The Republic of China (Taiwan) has announced the largest defense budget in its history.
President Tsai Ing-wen has proposed a 5.6 percent increase in the country's 2019 defense budget to $11.3 billion. This total is a $598 million increase from 2018 and will account for 2.16 percent of the country's gross domestic product.
The urgency of Taiwan's need to defend against a mainland invasion can be seen by comparing the new military budget's increase to the present one. The 2018 defense budget was only a 1.9 percent increase, or $10.7 million, compared to 2017. The one for 2019 is a 5.6 percent rise over 2018.
The budget is expected to be approved by Taiwan's Parliament, the Legislative Yuan, will it returns from summer recess.
"There have been many changes in international and regional situations and our national security is faced with more obvious and complicated threats," said Tsai.
A fifth of the 2019 budget will be lavished on "defense self-sufficiency" programs, said Tsai. Taiwan is engaged in a decades-long campaign to develop and produce indigenous weapons systems, especially diesel-electric submarines.
Taiwan saw its morale boosted when the United States early this year approved a license required to sell submarine technology to it, which observers see as indicative of the closer relations between the two countries.
The U.S. submarine technologies will deliver a huge boost to Taiwan's program to build its own diesel-electric subs. In mid-2016, Taiwan went ahead with its plan to build its own diesel-electric attack submarines as part of a build-up of the Republic of China Navy (ROCN).
Tsai on March 21 announced the launch of a submarine construction program that will see Taiwan build at least eight super-quiet, diesel-electric submarines (SSKs) over the next few decades under its Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) Program.
The addition of the eight new boats will give Taiwan 10 submarines, all armed with American-made Mark 48 (Mk-48) heavyweight submarine torpedo and UGM-84L Sub-launched Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles.
"Strengthening underwater combat capabilities are most needed in Taiwan's defense," said Tsai during a tour of a submarine at the southern naval port of Zuoying.
"This is a problem everyone recognizes. We have been unable to solve this in the past. As commander of the armed forces, I am determined to solve this problem."
Taiwan estimates it will take at least 10 years for the first submarine to be ready. Four years will be spent on design; four on construction and two for testing.
