Taipei (AFP) - Lawmakers in Taiwan approved a $7.6 billion budget for locally made drones on Thursday as the island democracy seeks to strengthen its defences against a potential Chinese attack.

Taiwan has ramped up military spending in recent years and is building up its defence industry to make more equipment and ammunition on the island, which China claims is part of its territory and has threatened to seize by force.

A spending proposal backed by the opposition parties – Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) – cleared the parliament after a plan submitted by President Lai Ching-te’s government was rejected.

Lai’s government wants Taiwan to be able to produce enough drones on its own to repel a potential attack from China.

But the government has repeatedly clashed with the opposition, which hold the most seats in parliament, over how much to spend on improving the island’s defences and how it should be funded.

Lai’s government wanted to allocate up to NT$210 billion ($6.6 billion) in a special budget for Taiwan-made unmanned vehicles, including coastal surveillance, attack and surface drones.

The spending would have been spread out over more than five years and overseen by the defence ministry.

The KMT, which favours closer ties with China, and the TPP instead backed a proposal for NT$240 billion in spending over six years that would be included in the annual budget.

After initially insisting on an annual spending cap of NT$40 billion, the KMT agreed to allow some flexibility. It also accepted the defence ministry would handle the drone procurement process.

Asked by reporters if he would sign off on the opposition’s bill, Premier Cho Jung-tai, who heads the Cabinet, said his focus was on national security.

“What I care about is whether the legislation meets the nation’s needs – whether it aligns with our indigenous defence strategy and the various requirements for developing our drone and unmanned vehicle industries,” Cho said.

“We will carefully weigh these matters based on the needs of the country and national security.”

- US pressure -

Ahead of the vote, KMT lawmaker Hsu Chiao-hsin said Taiwan “must genuinely encourage localisation and domestic production” to develop the industry.

“We need to support reputable manufacturers that can deliver non-red (non-Chinese) supply chains, ensure a certain level of cybersecurity and maintain stable growth,” Hsu said.

The government has already finalised its 2027 general budget.

The 2026 annual general budget was passed by lawmakers this month after a record delay.

US calls for lawmakers to pass the drone bill had intensified in recent weeks. During a visit to Taipei last month, Republican lawmaker Young Kim said “time is short”.

“The wars over Ukraine and Iran show that Taiwan needs to buy and build drones at a huge scale,” Kim said at the Presidential Office.

Taiwan remains heavily reliant on US arms sales to deter China and is under pressure from Washington to cough up more for its own security.

The war in Ukraine has shown Taiwan how smaller and more nimble weaponry, including drones, can be critical in waging asymmetric warfare against a mightier military.

Lai’s government has earmarked a record NT$1.1 trillion in defence spending for 2027, which accounts for more than three percent of GDP.