Former White House official: Blocking defense budget is 'provocative'; Trump made no concessions to Xi on Taiwan

David Feith, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and former senior director for Asian affairs at the U.S. National Security Council, has called on Taiwan to substantially boost its defense expenditures, emphasizing the need for investment in asymmetric warfare capabilities.

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I think it is provocative. It signals weakness to Beijing.

Feith described internal political opposition in Taiwan to funding these crucial asymmetric capabilities as "worse than disappointing" and "provocative." He warned that such hesitation could be interpreted by Beijing as a sign of weakness, referencing the military maxim "weakness is provocative."

He also analyzed the recent meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Contrary to some concerns, Feith asserted that Trump did not alter existing U.S. policy statements opposing Taiwan's independence or commit to halting arms sales to Taiwan during the summit. He concluded that Trump made no concessions on Taiwan policy.

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Trump did not do any of these things

Feith acknowledged that democratic processes in deciding fund allocation are reasonable but stressed that given the significant threat from Beijing, a bipartisan effort to increase defense spending would be a wiser approach for Taiwan. He supported Taiwan's strategic direction in expanding investments in asymmetric defense platforms like drones, shore-based defense missiles, and mines, and highlighted the importance of "whole-of-society resilience."

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strong Taiwan and strong U.S.-Taiwan defense relations consolidate peace in the Taiwan Strait.