Taiwan's government has approved its largest-ever defense budget, a move meant to reassure Washington and deter Beijing — but it now faces a hostile legislature, and the fight could shape this year's local elections.

• The cabinet signed off on a defense package worth over NT$1 trillion for next year, the highest in Taiwan's history.
• The number is aimed at two audiences at once: a deterrence warning to Beijing, and proof to Washington that Taiwan will pay for its own defense and buy more American weapons.
• The budget still has to clear a legislature controlled by the opposition KMT and TPP, and foreign press is already flagging that fight as the weak point.
• Public anger at legislative gridlock is growing, and many swing voters now read the opposition's blocking as siding with Beijing against the ruling party.
• If the opposition keeps stalling defense spending, it could cost them in tight local races like New Taipei — and even Taichung may not be safe.

Outlook: The real test comes when the budget reaches the legislature, where the opposition must choose between blocking the ruling party and being branded soft on China ahead of the 2026 local elections.