TAIPEI - A delay in approving Taiwan's budget this year threatens T$78 billion ($2.44 billion) in weapons procurement, maintenance and training, a senior defence ministry official said on Thursday.Defence spending is set to increase by 22.9% to T$949.5 billion in 2026, President Lai Ching-te's administration said in August. At 3.32% of gross domestic product, the figure will cross the 3% threshold for the first time since 2009, government figures showed.The government has said it needs to spend more to deter China, which claims sovereignty over the island and which has raised mil…READ FULL ARTICLE
