Several civic groups in Taiwan held a rally outside the "Legislative Yuan" on November 28, 2025 to denounce regional leader Lai Ching-te for pushing a $40 billion special arms-purchase budget and for proposing to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP. Photo: Labor Party in Taiwan

Several civic groups in Taiwan island held a rally outside the "Legislative Yuan" on Friday to denounce regional leader Lai Ching-te for pushing a $40 billion special arms-purchase budget and proposing to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP, slamming that such moves would recklessly drag Taiwan toward the battlefield and destruction. 

Participants at Friday's event chanted slogans such as "Oppose 'Taiwan independence' and the provocations that endanger Taiwan," "Sky-high arms purchases betray the people," and "Stop 'Taiwan independence' to save Taiwan; stop arms purchases to protect livelihoods." Three youth representatives later delivered a statement to the "Legislative Yuan," according to a statement sent to the Global Times by Wang Wu-lang, secretary-general of the Labor Party. 

In an article published in The Washington Post on Tuesday, Lai claimed that, in response to what he called growing pressure from the mainland, Taiwan's "defense spending"—already doubled in recent years—will rise to 3.3 percent of GDP next year, and that he is committed to raising the baseline to 5 percent by 2030. He also claimed that he would introduce "a historic $40 billion supplementary defense budget."

On Wednesday, Lai convened a so-called "high-level security" meeting, claiming that the authorities are drafting plans to strengthen "defense capabilities" and "develop a comprehensive defense-related industrial base." He also hyped that the mainland "aims to complete the military reunification of Taiwan by 2027." But later some media found that Lai changed the rhetoric on his Facebook page to "aiming to complete the preparations for the military reunification of Taiwan by 2027," according to Taiwan media outlets.

Lai's moves have drawn sharp criticism across the island over recent days. At Friday's event, Wu Jung-yuan, chairman of Taiwan's Labor Party, said that Lai's announcement of the $40 billion defense budget, which is NT$1.25 trillion, was nothing more than a political deception. The DPP's pursuit of "Taiwan independence" denies the legal fact that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one China, constituting a blatant violation of the law and a dangerous provocation, according to the release. 

The massive military buildup sacrifices public welfare, wastes taxpayers' money, and ultimately reflects a futile attempt to cling to US hegemony, Wu said. 

He added that the people of Taiwan have reached a critical moment of awakening and self-preservation. He urged the public to put livelihoods and peace first and called on lawmakers to stand with the people in advancing peaceful cross-Straits development and mutual benefit.

Huang Te-pei, secretary-general of the Left Party, said that the DPP's proposal for a special defense budget—coupled with its hype over a possible war in 2027—has once again pushed Taiwan into a dangerous situation. He noted that since last year's mass recall campaign, the DPP has created a "green terror," and is now launching a new wave of political intimidation. 

Huang said the people in the island want peaceful and secure cross-Straits ties, reject unnecessary, outdated and delayed US weapons purchases.

Labor Party deputy secretary-general Hsu Meng-hsiang said Lai treats the mainland as a hostile force and is pushing a NT$1.25 trillion arms package to act as a pawn in the US so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy," shifting the heavy burden onto the working class in the island. 

In response to Lai's recent remarks, Cheng Li-wun, chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, said on Friday that talk of war must never be taken lightly. She said Lai should not ignite tensions or play with fire, and do not drag the entire Taiwan Straits into danger because of his own political crisis—a highly irresponsible and dangerous act, she said, according to Taiwan media Now News. 

Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairperson of the KMT, also urged Lai to abandon the push to "Taiwan independence," saying that if one truly cares about the people's safety, they should not lock them inside an ideological war machine. If they genuinely love this land, she said, they must first stop rushing toward the abyss, according to Now News. 

In response to Lai's "defense budget" and his claim that the mainland is preparing to unite Taiwan by force in 2027, Jiang Bin, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of National Defense, said at a press conference on Thursday that the actions of "Taiwan independence" separatists and interference by external forces are the biggest threats to peace across the Taiwan Straits. 

The DPP authorities' ever-changing schemes to seek independence by relying on external forces or seek independence by military means waste public resources and are doomed to fail. These so-called "plans" cannot obstruct the historic trend toward China's reunification; they will only hasten the downfall of the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, Jiang said.