its self-defense.

"The Chinese Communist Party's routine gray-zone intrusions have compressed the training space and response time in our maritime and air spaces," the MND said, adding that U.S. assistance in maintaining self-defense capabilities in Taiwan is "the basis

The United States, the island's biggest arms supplier, is obliged under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide arms to the island for its self-defense.

Congress would continue to pass legislation to help Taiwan strengthen its self-defense capabilities and enhance U.S.-Taiwan exchanges and cooperation. Mr. McCaul emphasized that all democratic countries must unite against aggression and tyranny.

“Taiwan will continue to reform national defense, strengthen whole-of-society defense resilience, demonstrate our determination for self-defense, and maintain peace through strength,” she said. Frank Fang contributed to this report. 

The self-ruling island thanked the United States for the military aid and said that Washington's move to draw weapons from its own stockpiles provided "an important tool to support Taiwan's self-defense."

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on May 20 that Taiwan would continue purchasing U.S. weapons, describing the purchases as necessary to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense and maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) considers Taiwan its territory despite never having controlled the self-ruled island.

The annual report is compiled by a team drawn from across the Ministry of Defense, including civilian officials and members of the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces.

However, Washington is required by law—the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA)—to provide the island with military equipment for its self-defense.

“As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and work with like-minded partners such as the United States to defend the rules-based international order, to ensure peace, stability

Taiwan, a de facto independent nation with its own democratically elected government, has relied on the United States for weapons for its self-defense. The two neighbors are separated by the Taiwan Strait, located west of Taiwan. Ports Mr.

“Taiwan has also demonstrated its determination to protect the country, continuously improving its self-defense capabilities and asymmetric combat capabilities, firmly defending a free and democratic lifestyle, achieving peace through strength, and deepening

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in Parliament in November 2025 that Chinese military action around Taiwan could create circumstances in which Japan could exercise collective self-defense. Relations deteriorated after the remarks.

He said this “demonstrates Taiwan's determination to strengthen its self-defense capabilities.” “Investing in defense is investing in peace.

Despite its nondiplomatic ties with the island, the United States maintains a robust relationship with Taipei based on the Taiwan Relations Act, which authorizes Washington to provide the island with military equipment for its self-defense.

Takaichi, in response to a November parliamentary question, said that a Taiwan contingency could constitute a potential “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, a designation that might enable Japan to exercise its right to self-defense.

Despite the lack of formal ties, Taipei and Washington have maintained a robust relationship under the Taiwan Relations Act, a law authorizing the United States to provide the island with military equipment for self-defense.

The TRA states that the United States "will make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain self-sufficient defense capabilities.”

“Taiwan, as the most important and most critical part of the first island chain, must demonstrate our determination and take on a greater responsibility in self-defense,” Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said.

For its part, the United States formally recognizes, but does not endorse, the CCP’s position, and maintains legal obligations to provide Taiwan with weapons for its self-defense.

She said that if warships were involved and force was used, such circumstances could potentially meet the threshold allowing Japan to exercise collective self-defense under existing law.

Although the United States doesn’t maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and has sworn to not unilaterally champion the island’s independence, it’s legally bound by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 to provide Taiwan with the arms necessary for self-defense

Taiwan Beefs Up Security Taiwan has also stepped up its self-defense preparations amid the CCP’s escalated military provocations.

"Taiwan will continue to demonstrate its self-defense determination, strengthen its self-defense capabilities, and safeguard its national security and the free and democratic way of life of its people," it added.

Taiwan is a self-governed democracy that Beijing has never ruled but has vowed to annex by force.

The actions are part of a months-long escalation between Beijing and Tokyo after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Japan would be justified in activating its Self-Defense Forces if Taiwan were to come under attack. 

This is the second major change in the personnel of the Japanese Ministry of Defense in Taiwan after the Taiwan Strait crisis in 1996 when Japan dispatched a retired self-defense officer to Taiwan to collect intelligence.

Currently, U.S. support of Taiwan is manifest through the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, which authorizes the United States to provide Taiwan with military equipment for its self-defense and to resist any forms of coercion “that would jeopardize the security

The United States has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is bound by the Taiwan Relations Act to provide the island with the means to maintain its self-defense. Reuters contributed to this report.