Washington: The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed support for increasing U.S. aid to Taiwan to enhance its defense capabilities, urging Congress to raise the appropriation to US$1 billion. This move signals a strong commitment to bolstering Taiwan's defenses amid rising regional tensions.
According to Focus Taiwan, the Office of Management and Budget under the Executive Office of the President issued a statement on July 15 appreciating the House Appropriations Committee's inclusion of US$500 million for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative (TSCI) in the fiscal 2026 Department of Defense Appropriations Act. The office emphasized the importance of this sum in supporting the Department of Defense's efforts to enhance Taiwan's self-defense capabilities.
The administration has called for full consideration of the fiscal 2026 budget request of US$1 billion for TSCI, highlighting Taiwan's ability to credibly defend itself as crucial for deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region and for safeguarding U.S. personnel in case of a contingency.
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed its version of the 2026 defense appropriations bill, which includes US$500 million in aid for Taiwan. However, a final version of the bill must still be negotiated with the Senate, which has yet to release its draft. The bill outlines US$831.5 billion in spending, allocating funds for Taiwan that will be managed by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency and available until September 30, 2027, for the TSCI. It also mandates the U.S. Secretary of Defense to report quarterly to congressional defense committees on the utilization of these funds.
The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party discussed the TSCI following testimony from retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery in May. Montgomery emphasized the need for increased financial aid to Taiwan, suggesting that Taiwan is too small to confront Beijing alone, given China's GDP is 23 times larger than Taiwan's. He proposed that defense aid to Taiwan could be augmented through Foreign Military Financing (FMF), Presidential Drawdown Authorities (PDA), and the TSCI, which would enable the U.S. to provide equipment to Taiwan.
Montgomery recommended an initial US$300 million for TSCI and urged Congress to approve US$1 billion for 2026 and beyond. He suggested that a significant portion of this funding could be used for training Taiwan's troops, including captain's courses and battalion-level training at U.S. bases in Hawaii and the West Coast. Montgomery, who retired as a rear admiral in 2017, served 32 years in the U.S. Navy, with significant roles such as commander of Carrier Strike Group 5 and senior staff positions at U.S. Pacific and European Commands.