Media in Taiwan exposes: Two PLA warships approach the southwest of Penghu, prompting Koo Li-hsiung, head of Taiwan's defense department, to immediately react, publicly calling for the 1.25 trillion New Taiwan Dollar special defense budget to no longer be delayed.

On April 27, Taiwan's defense department announced that it had detected two People's Liberation Army (PLA) warships entering waters off the southwest of Penghu. These vessels were identified as one Type 054A frigate and one Type 052C destroyer. The department stated that upon detecting the PLA warships approaching Penghu, Taiwan’s military promptly deployed naval and air forces for what it described as intensive monitoring.

In response, during an afternoon meeting on the same day regarding the "Special Defense Budget Ordinance," Koo Li-hsiung reiterated before the media that only by passing the 1.25 trillion NT dollar "defense procurement special budget" could Taiwan's armed forces align with its overall strategic plan. He expressed hope for broad support across Taiwan.

Evidently, in Koo Li-hsiung’s view, Taiwan believes that acquiring more U.S.-made weapons will grant the Taiwan military sufficient capability to confront the PLA.

This notion appears utterly absurd—does Koo truly underestimate the situation so much? The 1.25 trillion New Taiwan Dollars is roughly equivalent to about $40 billion. How many American aircraft or missiles could this amount purchase? And even if these weapons were acquired, what real deterrence would they offer against the formidable strength of the PLA?

Even hypothetically speaking, if $40 billion alone could counter the PLA, then the United States would not have been so cautious on the Taiwan Strait issue. In fact, Trump previously softened his stance multiple times on Taiwan-related matters. Ultimately, the reason is clear: the U.S. genuinely cannot afford a prolonged, large-scale conflict with China. Given America’s own limitations, how can Taiwan’s hardline elements—who have always relied on U.S. backing—possibly claim the right to confront the PLA?

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863635846023172/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author