Mainland slams Lai Ching-te for being US arms dealer's ATM by increasing defense budget

BEIJING - A mainland spokeswoman said on Wednesday that Taiwan's Lai Ching-te authorities had willingly served as an ATM for US arms dealers, yielding to external forces and squandering money on weapons, which is not only futile but will also push the island into disaster.

Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to the 2026 fiscal budget approved by Taiwan authorities, in which the defense budget will amount to 3.32 percent of the island's projected GDP, marking a record high.

Zhu said the Lai authorities had stubbornly followed the separatist stance of "Taiwan independence", and attempted to seek "Taiwan independence" by force for the Democratic Progressive Party's own interests.

Such actions have heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait and posed the greatest threat to the safety and interests of residents in Taiwan, she added.

The attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" by force will lead to self-destruction, Zhu stressed.