EDITORIAL: Decisive action needed on defenseA survey released on Wednesday by the Taiwan Inspiration Association (TIA) offered a stark look into public feeling on national security. At the same time, 62.5 percent opposed the opposition’s efforts to block the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.6 billion) special defense budget. Second, there is a perception that political infighting is hampering decisive action on defense, such as the repeated shelving of the special defense budget by the opposition. Trust in national defense must begin at the individual and community levels. Grounding national security in the assumption that a foreign power would act in Taiwan’s defense is nothing short of irresponsible.

Source: Taipei Times January 23, 2026 17:28 UTC