Taipei: President Lai Ching-te emphasized on Saturday that Taiwan must "build its own strength" to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait and be prepared for any potential Chinese invasion. Lai shared these remarks during a forum in Taipei hosted by Business Today magazine, where he engaged with high school students on crucial national issues.

According to Focus Taiwan, one student questioned Lai regarding the correlation between enhancing defense capabilities and sustaining peace, referencing Lai's recent proposal of a NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.47 billion) supplementary defense budget. Lai responded by stating that while Taiwan seeks peaceful interactions with China, it is essential for the nation to protect its own interests. This necessitates an increase in the defense budget, bolstering economic resilience, and strengthening ties with other democratic nations.

Lai further elaborated, "If a nation lacks the strength to defend its own interests and merely accepts an aggressor's demands, it can never attain true peace." When pressed by another student on the likelihood of a Chinese attack, Lai did not provide a direct answer but insisted that Taiwan must be prepared for all eventualities.

According to Lai, the proposed defense budget aims to finance the development of a multilayered "T-Dome" air defense network and enhance Taiwan's defense industry. While the proposal has received support from the United States, it faces criticism from the main opposition Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party. These parties argue that the budget would heavily depend on debt financing, potentially leading to cuts in funding for social welfare, education, and other critical programs.