Trump says Taiwan should spend more on defence – while it waits for $20bn of US weapons

Donald Trump has criticised Taiwan for not doing enough to defend itself in the face of Chinese aggression, calling on the island to dramatically boost its defence spending to 10 per cent of GDP.

The Republican presidential candidate told theWashington Post that Taiwan “should spend 10” per cent of its national gross domestic product (GDP) on defence after being told that the island is already committing 2.6 per cent of its national income. The US spent 3.5 per cent of its GDP in 2023.

European lawmakers from a pro-Taiwan group expressed concern about the remarks, and pointed to the fact that Taiwan is already waiting on some $20bn in orders of military equipment from the US.

“I hope president Trump is aware of the fact that there is a $20bn (£15bn) backlog in arms deliveries from the US to Taiwan, which Taiwan has already paid for. Successive Taiwanese leaders have made commitments on defence which far outstrip those of most of the rest of the world – 2.9 per cent of GDP," Reinhard Bütikofer, former German member of European parliament, told The Independent.

Taiwan’s defence budget already surpasses a requirement for Nato member states to spend a minimum of 2 per cent of GDP. In the next year it will increase by almost 8 per cent on existing levels with the acquisition of more fighter jets and missiles.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take control of the democratically-governed island by force if necessary. The Xi Jinping administration has ramped up military and political pressure on Taiwan by carrying out near-daily flights across the Taiwan Strait, amid rising tensions in the region.

The Pentagon believes Mr Xi has ordered his military to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027, and Beijing