Mainland criticizes Taiwan's 'defense' spending, warns of resource depletion

Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities' squandering of public resources in pursuit of militarization will ultimately deplete the island, a Chinese defense ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.

Commenting on the "defense" budget recently proposed by the Lai Ching-te authorities, Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said the DPP authorities are acting against the mainstream aspirations of the Taiwanese public for peace and development.

According to reports, the island's executive department has proposed a record NT$1.12 trillion ($35.2 billion) "defense" budget for 2027, exceeding NT$1 trillion for the first time. The figure represents an 18.2 percent increase from the 2026 budget.

Zhang accused the Lai authorities of going to great lengths to curry favor with external forces, recklessly squandering public resources and pursuing militarization.

"This has severely undermined the well-being of people on the island and will ultimately deplete Taiwan's resources, leaving the authorities facing their eventual downfall," Zhang said. He also stressed that the historical trend toward reunification is unstoppable, warning the DPP authorities that no matter how many military exercises they conduct, they cannot change the inevitable demise of "Taiwan independence".