TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung rebuked Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s remarks at the Munich Security Conference Sunday, saying Beijing — not Taipei — is the “real threat” to regional security. The sharper tone came as President Lai Ching-te renewed pressure on lawmakers to approve a major defense spending plan that his government says is needed to deter China’s military operations around Taiwan, Feb. 15, 2026.
Taiwan fires back at Wang Yi’s Munich remarks
Lin’s statement, detailed in a Reuters report on the exchange, followed Wang’s appearance at the annual security forum in Munich. Wang warned that some countries were “trying to split Taiwan from China,” criticized Japan’s posture over a potential Taiwan crisis and stressed the importance of upholding the U.N. Charter, according to the report.
Taiwan’s foreign minister argued that Beijing’s rhetoric about peace clashes with its military behavior, pointing to Chinese operations around the island and recent large-scale exercises in nearby waters. Senior Taiwanese officials are not invited to attend the Munich Security Conference, leaving Taipei to respond through statements and diplomatic channels rather than on the conference floor.
Wang’s prepared speech, released by China’s foreign ministry in an official Munich Security Conference transcript, focused heavily on global governance and the role of the United Nations — themes that Taiwan cited in its rebuttal.
In separate remarks highlighted by China’s state-run media, Wang also framed the Taiwan question as part of the post-World War II order and criticized Japan’s role in the dispute, according to a Xinhua summary of his comments.
Taiwan disputes Beijing’s history and U.N. Charter framing
At the center of the exchange was a familiar argument: whether China’s claims of sovereignty over Taiwan are rooted in international law and postwar history, or whether they are political assertions backed by military pressure.
Lin said Taiwan’s sovereignty has never belonged to the People’s Republic of China and accused Beijing of invoking U.N. principles while violating them. He said China has “repeatedly and openly violated U.N. Charter principles on refraining from the use of force or the threat of force,” and argued that China’s behavior “once again exposes a hegemonic mindset that does not match its words with its actions,” according to the Reuters account.
China has long asserted that Taiwan was “returned” to Chinese rule by Japan after World War II, and that challenging that claim amounts to challenging Chinese sovereignty and the postwar international order. Taiwan’s government counters that the island was handed over to the Republic of China — a government that later relocated to Taiwan after losing the Chinese civil war — and that the People’s Republic of China did not exist in 1945.
Both sides maintain starkly different bottom lines. Beijing says Taiwan is part of China and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan rejects that position and says only Taiwan’s people can decide the island’s future.
Lai Ching-te links diplomacy to Taiwan’s defense push
The diplomatic clash in Europe landed at a tense moment at home, where Lai has tried to present Taiwan’s defense agenda as urgent and nonpartisan — while facing resistance from an opposition-controlled legislature.
In a Lunar New Year message released Sunday, Lai said Taiwan would “continue to strengthen” national defense and public security efforts, according to a Reuters report on the holiday address. The message was recorded at a key radar station in Taiwan’s central mountain range and included footage of Taiwan’s first domestically developed submarine undergoing undersea trials, Reuters reported.
Lai’s emphasis on readiness comes as his administration seeks passage of a proposed $40 billion special defense budget. His government says the spending is necessary to accelerate procurement of key systems and to deepen deterrence as China keeps up daily air and naval activity around Taiwan.
But the proposal has become a political flashpoint. The Kuomintang, the main opposition party, says it supports defense spending but opposes what it describes as insufficient scrutiny and open-ended commitments.
Defense Minister Wellington Koo warned this month that delays could create a “rupture” in the broader deterrence posture as Taiwan works with partners on defense planning and procurement, according to a separate Reuters report on the stalled budget. In the same report, Reuters said the United States has backed the spending plan, and noted that Washington announced an $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan in December.
Why the special budget matters for Taiwan
Lai’s pitch is not new, but his administration is trying to turn it into law — and fast.
In late 2025, Lai said he would propose roughly $40 billion in supplemental defense spending that would run for several years and cover items including missiles, drones and a new “T-Dome” air defense concept, according to a Reuters report on the planned package. Lai argued at the time that “there is no room for compromise on national security,” as he framed the spending plan as a signal of resolve.
Defense analysts have described the proposal as a bid to accelerate a shift toward “asymmetric” capabilities — systems designed to complicate an invasion or blockade, rather than match China platform-for-platform. USNI News’ breakdown of the proposal said it would fund island-wide air defense integration and other anti-invasion capabilities, while also underscoring Lai’s pledge to raise defense spending as a share of Taiwan’s economy.
A longer arc: Taiwan’s conscription and indigenous programs
Taiwan’s latest political fight sits atop years of incremental changes in how the island prepares for conflict and signals deterrence.
In January 2024, Taiwan began implementing an extension of compulsory military service from four months to one year for new cohorts of recruits, a move the government said was driven by concerns about China’s rising military threat, according to a Reuters report on the first intake under the new system.
Taiwan has also tried to develop more of its own military capabilities, including a domestic submarine program aimed at strengthening deterrence and protecting sea lanes. Taiwan unveiled its first domestically developed submarine in 2023, describing the project as a milestone for defense modernization, according to a Reuters report on the submarine’s debut.
What the Munich exchange signals for Taiwan
The clash over Wang’s Munich remarks and Lin’s rebuttal underscores a broader contest: China and Taiwan are trying to define not only the sovereignty dispute, but also who is responsible for rising tensions in the region — and what “peace” means under the U.N. Charter.
For Taiwan, the challenge is turning high-profile messaging into durable policy at home. Lai is arguing that Taiwan’s credibility — with its own public and with partners — depends on funding and executing a defense plan that matches the scale of the threat he describes.
For China, the message from Munich reinforced a longstanding position: that Taiwan is a core issue of sovereignty and that outside involvement increases the risk of confrontation. With both sides digging in, Taiwan’s next test may be less about words at global forums and more about whether its political system can deliver the resources and reforms needed for the defense posture Lai is pushing.
