Taipei: After the failure of Saturday's mass recall of 24 opposition Kuomintang (KMT) legislators, Taiwan-U.S. relations could be "significantly harmed" if the defense budget is blocked, a U.S. scholar said Tuesday. David Sacks, a researcher from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), expressed concerns that a stagnant defense budget could signal Taiwan's lack of commitment to its own defense, potentially encouraging Chinese aggression.

According to Focus Taiwan, Sacks highlighted the importance of increasing Taiwan's defense budget as proposed by President Lai Ching-te. In February, Lai committed to boosting the defense budget to over 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), following U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion that Taiwan should allocate 10 percent of its GDP to defense. Sacks warned that failure to meet these targets could portray Taiwan as vulnerable, affecting its international standing and emboldening China.

Sacks further analyzed the political dynamics post-recall, suggesting that Chinese observers might interpret the outcome as a preference among Taiwanese voters for a divided government to maintain the status quo. This perception could lead Beijing to either increase its pressure on Taiwan or adopt a more patient approach, waiting for a leadership change.

In terms of domestic politics, Sacks emphasized the necessity for President Lai to demonstrate his ability to collaborate with opposition parties, particularly the KMT, to ensure Taiwan's security. He stressed that bipartisan cooperation is essential for the stability and defense of the nation.

Kharis Templeman, a scholar from the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, also weighed in, noting that the recall vote indicates a lesser degree of polarization within Taiwan than it might seem. Templeman assured that the recall results would not impact Taiwan-U.S. relations, underscoring the importance of maintaining trust between the leaders of both nations.