US diplomat says Taiwan must turn into ‘hornet's nest of drones’ to deter China
A US diplomat has suggested turning Taiwan into a "hornet's nest" of drones that will act as a deterrent against China.
Raymond Greene, the top US diplomat to the island, speaking at a reception on Wednesday ahead of the US July 4 Independence Day in Taipei, said that drones provide a "game-changing opportunity" for Taipei to boost its military.
"Fortunately for Taiwan, drones have significantly boosted defenders, even when facing overwhelming odds," Greene said.
Greene, referring to the wars in Iran and Ukraine, said: "Nothing will deter conflict more effectively than turning Taiwan into a hornet's nest of air, surface, and subsurface drones."
Despite the United States' acceptance of the "One China" principle, which bars official relations between the two, Greene claimed that Washington and Taipei can anchor "democratic" drone production and strengthen the collective deterrence posture of the free world.
On Wednesday, the pro-US Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said the need for drones was pressing.
In the meantime, the opposition-dominated parliament opposes prioritizing drones.
In May, Kuomintang (KMT) opposition lawmakers approved only two-thirds of the T$1.25 trillion ($40 billion) in additional military spending proposed by President Lai Ching-te in the annual budget.
The KMT, instead, has proposed its own drone legislation, with a spending cap of T$240 billion over six years and annual spending capped at T$40 billion.
However, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, who is a senior member of the KMT and is widely expected to be the incumbent president's successor, said parliament should "work together" to prioritize the development of the drone industry.
Speaking at the same event as Greene, Lu said: "From Ukraine to Iran, the nature of international warfare has changed because of drones and unmanned vehicles."
The city of Taichung, where Lu hails from, is one of the main centers of the island's drone industry.
It is home to companies manufacturing aviation equipment with military applications, such as Thunder Tiger, and other major government military contractors, including Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC).
China, which considers Chinese Taipei an inseparable part of the country, has condemned US diplomatic contacts with the island and arms sales to Taiwan.
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US diplomat says Taiwan must turn into ‘hornet's nest of drones’ to deter China
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