Taiwan's president used the 68th anniversary of the 1958 Kinmen artillery battle to argue that only a stronger military can keep the peace — a hard line that will please Taipei's defense hawks and irritate Beijing.

• Lai Ching-te said peace never falls from the sky, and that surrendering sovereignty for a peace deal brings only humiliation.
• Next year's defense budget is set at NT$1.12 trillion, funding better pay for troops, new barracks, and AI and drone warfare.
• He tied the 1958 battle to today's Chinese pressure — coast guard incursions around Kinmen, gray-zone harassment, and military moves across the first island chain.
• The message was aimed at home too: a call for both parties and all ethnic groups to back the military and stop treating defense as a partisan fight.

Outlook: Expect the budget fight in Taiwan's legislature to become the next flashpoint, with Beijing likely to respond through more pressure around Kinmen.