Archive · 28 Sep 2026
Taiwan urges deeper drone cooperation with democratic partners amid tensions
Taiwan’s president says drones are becoming very important for protecting countries.
He wants Taiwan to work more closely with democratic partners to build drones and their supply chains.
He spoke at a ceremony for a new drone development center in Chiayi.
He said lessons from the war in Ukraine show how useful unmanned systems can be.
Taiwan is also worried about increasing military pressure from China.
The government has proposed much more defense spending this year.
Some of that money would buy coastal surveillance drones and attack drones.
Taiwan says its people should decide the island’s future.
China says Taiwan is part of its territory.
President Lai Ching-te called for deeper drone cooperation with democratic partners.
Lai said unmanned systems are increasingly important in modern defense and Indo-Pacific security.
He spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new drone development center in Chiayi.
Taiwan proposed an additional T$145.7 billion in defense spending for this year.
The plans include more than 600 surveillance drones and over 40,000 coastal attack drones.
- Who
- Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and Taiwan’s government.
- What
- Taiwan plans to deepen drone cooperation with democratic partners and expand defense spending.
- When
- Monday, September 28.
- Where
- Chiayi, southern Taiwan.
- Why
- Taiwan says unmanned systems are important to modern defense and wants a more resilient supply chain amid increased military pressure from China.
Taiwan’s position
Beijing’s position
Taiwan’s status and future
Taiwan’s position
Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide its future.
Beijing’s position
Beijing views Taiwan as its own territory.
- Speaker
- Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te
- Event
- Groundbreaking ceremony for a new drone development center
- Location
- Chiayi, southern Taiwan
- Proposed additional defense spending
- T$145.7 billion, reported as $4.59 billion
- Coastal surveillance drones
- More than 600 planned
- Coastal attack drones
- More than 40,000 planned
- Suicide drone boats
- The first batch of more than 100 planned