President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Friday called on political parties to set aside differences and support the special defense budget, saying "national security cannot wait.” In a post on Facebook, the president said Taiwan must "prove to the world that Taiwan has the will, determination, and capability to defend our hard-won democratic freedom.”

Lai’s statement follows moves by KMT lawmakers this week to boycott cross-party negotiations on the government-supported US$40 billion special defense budget. More than two dozen KMT lawmakers instead submitted a supplementary resolution demanding that subsequent U.S. arms sales undergo a separate legislative review process.

Taiwan’s president accused opposition parties of delaying defense strengthening measures for political reasons. He warned that such actions weaken Taiwan’s ability to protect itself and could cause the international community to question its commitment to self-defense.

Lai underscored that China’s ongoing gray-zone harassment and military threats targeting the Taiwan Strait and nearby areas have "seriously impacted regional peace and stability.” He made the appeal on the 47th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, which he described as proof of deepening Taiwan-U.S. ties and a cornerstone of stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region.