Taiwan Must Be a Responsible Ally:
Maintaining Managed Resilience
By ｜ Kolas Yotaka
Kolas Yotaka is a Taiwanese author and politician. She previously served as spokesperson for both the Executive Yuan and the Office of the President. A former legislator with the Democratic Progressive Party, she now leads policy initiatives focused on supply chains, defense, and energy security.
Kolas Yotaka is a Taiwanese author and politician. She previously served as spokesperson for both the Executive Yuan and the Office of the President. A former legislator with the Democratic Progressive Party, she now leads policy initiatives focused on supply chains, defense, and energy security.
Increasing the defense budget has been one of Takaichi Sanae's clearest and most consistent campaign commitments. Japan's 2026 defense budget stands at 9 trillion and 353 billion yen (approximately NT$1.82 trillion). When Takaichi first ran for LDP party leader, her platform already called for raising Japan's defense spending from its current 1 percent of GDP to 2 percent by fiscal year 2027. Facing the CCP's wolf-warrior intimidation, "defending the nation" has become an idea as simple as ABC, understood by eight-year-olds and eighty-year-olds alike. Japan is confronting the most severe and complex international environment it has faced since the end of World War II. According to Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro, even this increase amounts to no more than "the minimum necessary expenditure."
The 2026 budget increase to NT$1.82 trillion has already doubled drone spending, encompassing large-scale procurement of attack drones, the construction of a coastal defense system centered on drone capabilities, the acquisition of long-range missiles, the development of next-generation fighter aircraft, the construction of new submarines, and the strengthening of space defense, cybersecurity, and defensive deployments around Japan's southwestern islands, including Okinawa. Where does the money come from? The Japanese government is raising the income tax rate by one percentage point to fund defense procurement. There is domestic opposition to the tax increase, but broad public support for making the country stronger. The funding mechanism remains to be resolved, though notably, according to the Sankei Shimbun, nearly 80 percent of Japanese aged 18 to 29 support increasing the defense budget.
Taiwan presents a stark contrast. The Executive Yuan's proposal for NT$1.25 trillion over eight years has been blocked by the opposition more than ten times, delaying its passage. The Taiwan People's Party proposed an alternative of NT$400 billion over eight years. The Kuomintang, arguing that President Lai Ching-te should not serve a second term and that the budget should not span two administrations, has offered only NT$380 billion over three years plus an unspecified additional amount — a punitive gesture dressed up as a budget position. When national security becomes a meme, deployed only to score points against the other side, there is no longer any room for serious conversation.
"NT$380 billion plus N" is a joke
China is a nuclear-armed state with approximately 600 warheads, second only to Russia and the United States, and is reportedly still developing nuclear facilities at Lop Nur in Xinjiang. The CCP has been deliberately showcasing the deve- lopment of its ground, naval, and air forces, rocket forces, and space and cyber warfare capabilities, most recently at last year's September 3rd military parade. Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research has reported that China now produces 92 percent of its weapons domestically, placing it at the forefront of defense self-sufficiency in the Indo-Pacific region. China has never renounced the use of force against Taiwan, and the frequency of military exercises encircling Taiwan, as well as warplanes and warships crossing the median line, continues to rise.
At the same time, the war in Iran continues, the war in Ukraine has entered its fifth year, both of which are stretching American military resources. Taiwan is already facing rising oil, electricity, and consumer prices. If public discontent grows, it will add another layer of uncertainty to an already difficult situation.
Finally, on March 6th, after blocking the government's defense budget proposal ten times, the opposition agreed to advance all versions of the bill to a second reading in the Legislative Yuan. But on the day of the vote, with more than twenty DPP legislators absent from the chamber (some attending local events, some traveling to Japan to watch baseball games), the governing party was outnumbered 29 to 54 by the opposition. The episode drew considerable public criticism. Party rivalry, social media, photo opportunities, and the pursuit of likes are all fragmenting our attention and sapping the energy of those who stand for resisting China and defending Taiwan. The public needs to stay alert. Fatigue is not a good sign.
What Japan Offers Taiwan Is Not Only Baseball
Ｍeanwhile, Premier Cho Jung-tai obtained a Japanese visa and traveled to Tokyo to watch the 2026 World Baseball Classic, becoming the first sitting Taiwan premier to visit Japan since the two sides severed diplomatic ties in 1972. Surprisingly, the right-leaning Yomiuri Shimbun, which co-hosted the WBC, published nothing about the visit during the tournament. Beyond reprinting the Central News Agency's Japanese-language press release, the broader Japanese media response was limited: the Nikkei, Jiji Press, and the Japan Times raised concerns about potential CCP backlash, while the left-leaning Asahi Shimbun noted at the end of its report that a sitting premier visiting Japan was "extremely rare" (極めて異例だ) and that there were fears of "a Chinese backlash" (中国が反発の恐れも). In Taiwan, public reaction split sharply along familiar lines, with some calling it a major diplomatic breakthrough and others warning that it could complicate the upcoming Trump-Xi summit in ways unfavorable to Taiwan.
Taiwan always wants to be seen, but every step forward is shadowed by the CCP, which follows like a ghost wherever Taiwan goes, ensuring that whatever Taiwan does, too much or too little, it will be criticized. But the most urgent task for those in government is to ensure national security, pass the defense budget, stabilize public confidence in a time of upheaval, and protect the lives and property of the people. No nation wants to be dragged into war by another. The more difficult the environment, the more essential it is to demonstrate managed resilience.
Such kind of managed resilience is something that Japan and the United States both want the DPP leaders and [whoever is] President to embrace, in order to manage stability in cross-strait relations. [—Ken Jimbo]
I agree with Ken Jimbo.
The 2026 budget increase to NT$1.82 trillion has already doubled drone spending, encompassing large-scale procurement of attack drones, the construction of a coastal defense system centered on drone capabilities, the acquisition of long-range missiles, the development of next-generation fighter aircraft, the construction of new submarines, and the strengthening of space defense, cybersecurity, and defensive deployments around Japan's southwestern islands, including Okinawa. Where does the money come from? The Japanese government is raising the income tax rate by one percentage point to fund defense procurement. There is domestic opposition to the tax increase, but broad public support for making the country stronger. The funding mechanism remains to be resolved, though notably, according to the Sankei Shimbun, nearly 80 percent of Japanese aged 18 to 29 support increasing the defense budget.
Taiwan presents a stark contrast. The Executive Yuan's proposal for NT$1.25 trillion over eight years has been blocked by the opposition more than ten times, delaying its passage. The Taiwan People's Party proposed an alternative of NT$400 billion over eight years. The Kuomintang, arguing that President Lai Ching-te should not serve a second term and that the budget should not span two administrations, has offered only NT$380 billion over three years plus an unspecified additional amount — a punitive gesture dressed up as a budget position. When national security becomes a meme, deployed only to score points against the other side, there is no longer any room for serious conversation.
"NT$380 billion plus N" is a joke
China is a nuclear-armed state with approximately 600 warheads, second only to Russia and the United States, and is reportedly still developing nuclear facilities at Lop Nur in Xinjiang. The CCP has been deliberately showcasing the deve- lopment of its ground, naval, and air forces, rocket forces, and space and cyber warfare capabilities, most recently at last year's September 3rd military parade. Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research has reported that China now produces 92 percent of its weapons domestically, placing it at the forefront of defense self-sufficiency in the Indo-Pacific region. China has never renounced the use of force against Taiwan, and the frequency of military exercises encircling Taiwan, as well as warplanes and warships crossing the median line, continues to rise.
At the same time, the war in Iran continues, the war in Ukraine has entered its fifth year, both of which are stretching American military resources. Taiwan is already facing rising oil, electricity, and consumer prices. If public discontent grows, it will add another layer of uncertainty to an already difficult situation.
Finally, on March 6th, after blocking the government's defense budget proposal ten times, the opposition agreed to advance all versions of the bill to a second reading in the Legislative Yuan. But on the day of the vote, with more than twenty DPP legislators absent from the chamber (some attending local events, some traveling to Japan to watch baseball games), the governing party was outnumbered 29 to 54 by the opposition. The episode drew considerable public criticism. Party rivalry, social media, photo opportunities, and the pursuit of likes are all fragmenting our attention and sapping the energy of those who stand for resisting China and defending Taiwan. The public needs to stay alert. Fatigue is not a good sign.
What Japan Offers Taiwan Is Not Only Baseball
Ｍeanwhile, Premier Cho Jung-tai obtained a Japanese visa and traveled to Tokyo to watch the 2026 World Baseball Classic, becoming the first sitting Taiwan premier to visit Japan since the two sides severed diplomatic ties in 1972. Surprisingly, the right-leaning Yomiuri Shimbun, which co-hosted the WBC, published nothing about the visit during the tournament. Beyond reprinting the Central News Agency's Japanese-language press release, the broader Japanese media response was limited: the Nikkei, Jiji Press, and the Japan Times raised concerns about potential CCP backlash, while the left-leaning Asahi Shimbun noted at the end of its report that a sitting premier visiting Japan was "extremely rare" (極めて異例だ) and that there were fears of "a Chinese backlash" (中国が反発の恐れも). In Taiwan, public reaction split sharply along familiar lines, with some calling it a major diplomatic breakthrough and others warning that it could complicate the upcoming Trump-Xi summit in ways unfavorable to Taiwan.
Taiwan always wants to be seen, but every step forward is shadowed by the CCP, which follows like a ghost wherever Taiwan goes, ensuring that whatever Taiwan does, too much or too little, it will be criticized. But the most urgent task for those in government is to ensure national security, pass the defense budget, stabilize public confidence in a time of upheaval, and protect the lives and property of the people. No nation wants to be dragged into war by another. The more difficult the environment, the more essential it is to demonstrate managed resilience.
Such kind of managed resilience is something that Japan and the United States both want the DPP leaders and [whoever is] President to embrace, in order to manage stability in cross-strait relations. [—Ken Jimbo]
I agree with Ken Jimbo.
成為台灣人間魚詩社文創協會 贊助會員
台灣人間魚詩社文創協會為依法設立、非以營利為目的之社會團體。以推廣現代詩、文學及其它藝術創作，推動文化創意產業發展為宗旨。
本會推動及執行任務以現代詩為主體，詩文創作為核心，透過出版、網路及多媒體影音的形式，讓詩文創作深入現代社會生活，增進大眾對文學及創作的興趣，豐富社會心靈。
贊助用途：
•支持協會運作及詩文創作出版
• 舉辦金像詩獎、多媒體跨界影像
• 文學、文化行動與國際推廣
贊助帳號：第一銀行 (007) 大安分行 168-10-002842 社團法人台灣人間魚詩社文創協會
台灣人間魚詩社文創協會為依法設立、非以營利為目的之社會團體。以推廣現代詩、文學及其它藝術創作，推動文化創意產業發展為宗旨。
本會推動及執行任務以現代詩為主體，詩文創作為核心，透過出版、網路及多媒體影音的形式，讓詩文創作深入現代社會生活，增進大眾對文學及創作的興趣，豐富社會心靈。
贊助用途：
•支持協會運作及詩文創作出版
• 舉辦金像詩獎、多媒體跨界影像
• 文學、文化行動與國際推廣
贊助帳號：第一銀行 (007) 大安分行 168-10-002842 社團法人台灣人間魚詩社文創協會
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姐妹詩社：秋水詩社｜ 竊竊詩語｜新詩路 ｜掌門詩學社
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