JTFMax:

In August, China deployed more troops off Taiwan's coast than it had in decades - a blatant threat of war!

That is why Taiwan wants to upgrade its military massively. As a result, defense spending is set to rise by 13.9 percent next year. According to the draft budget presented by the government in Taipei on Thursday, the military budget is to increase to 586 billion Taiwan dollars (the equivalent of 19 billion euros).

That corresponds to 2.4 percent of the democratic island republic's economic output. USA Defense outlays amounted to 742 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, which was about 3.3 percent of the U.S. GDP. The forecast predicts an increase in defense outlays up to 998 billion U.S. dollars in 2032, which would be about 2.7 percent of the U.S. GDP.

President Tsai Ing-wen (65) wants to spend around 3.6 billion euros on new fighter jets. This is because the skies over Taiwan would be one of the first battlefields in the event of an invasion. As recently as the beginning of August, China's People's Liberation Army had rehearsed an air blockade of the island nation in several threatening maneuvers. Chinese missiles flew over Taiwan, and warships surrounded the country.

Since the large-scale maneuvers, Chinese aircraft and ships have continued to operate more intensively in the 130-kilometer-wide strait of the Taiwan Strait, repeatedly crossing the previously mostly respected center line.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (8th from left wearing a gray jacket and white top) received a delegation from Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb (left of Tsai) on Monday.

And all this was only because U.S. politician Nancy Pelosi (82) had visited Taiwan. The regime in Beijing regards the island democracy as a renegade province that must come back under China's control - even with war if necessary.

Taiwan's head of government was not intimidated by this. Only on Monday did she receive a delegation of U.S. politicians.

China dictator Xi Jinping (69) blatantly threatened war last year: "The historic task of reunifying the motherland must be accomplished and will be accomplished."

Previously Xi still announced that the Taiwan issue should not be passed from one generation to the next. This is another reason the U.S. intelligence agency CIA believes: the question is not whether China will invade Taiwan but when.