US commander warns Taiwan not to ‘starve the chicken’ on defense

The head of the U.S. command for the Indo-Pacific region on Tuesday stressed the importance of Taiwan passing its stalled defense budget, saying the United States “can’t want Taiwan’s defense more than they want it itself.” “It’s not a chicken and the egg, because you’re not going to get chicken or eggs if you starve the chicken,” Adm. Samuel Paparo told a hearing of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. “So it’s very important for them to fund their own defense,” he said, when asked about the stalled talks. Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te last year proposed $40 billion in extra defense spending to counter China, which views the island as its own territory. Taiwan’s parliament, where the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party has a majority, is continuing to debate the government’s plan and competing, less expensive proposals. Washington is obliged under U.S. law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and American senators have sought to reassure Taiwan that the U.S. will approve another round of arms sales worth as much as $14 billion soon. A group of 37 bipartisan U.S. lawmakers wrote to senior Taiwanese politicians in February expressing concern about the parliament stalling defense spending plans and a separate group of U.S. lawmakers gave a similar message during a subsequent visit to Taipei. “We did secure private assurances from KMT leadership that a robust defense package would eventually be approved,” a Democratic congressional aide who had recently traveled to Taiwan said. The KMT says it supports defense spending, but will not sign “blank checks” and that dialogue with Beijing is equally important. In Taipei, ruling party lawmakers have expressed anger at the KMT for skipping defense budget talks and for its leader Cheng Li-wun visiting China, where she made a plea for peace, saying birds not missiles should fly in the skies. Share: More In Your Military Guardsman learns to fly autonomous Black Hawk in less than an hour In a training first, an Army National Guardsman used a tablet to control Sikorsky's optionally piloted Black Hawk and plan its task during an exercise. Recap: Highlights from the US Army’s 2025 conference in Washington The Army continues to transform, with efforts focused on next-gen weaponry, long-range artillery, unmanned systems and much more. Pentagon stages first ‘Top Drone’ school for operators to hone skills Industry and military drone operators flew tethered and untethered first-person drones through a course designed to test endurance and maneuverability. Space Development Agency launches first operational satellites The 21 spacecraft could start providing operational capability to combatant commands and other users within four to six months, according to SDA. Space Development Agency director leaves post for academia The agency’s deputy director, Gurpartap Sandhoo, will lead SDA in an acting capacity.