Taiwan to seek extension of arms deals with US amid budget stand-off

Taiwan will seek an extension to the date by which an agreement must be signed with the United States for a batch of weapons deliveries given an ongoing

standoff in parliament about defence spending, the island's defence ministry said on Friday.



Taiwan President Lai Ching-te last year proposed a $40 billion special defence budget to counter a rising threat from China, which views the island as its own territory. But the opposition-controlled parliament has instead ‌advanced its own, less expensive proposals, which only fund some U.S. weapons.



Taiwan's defence ministry has urged the opposition to approve the spending proposal, saying that any delay could postpone much-needed weapons deliveries as orders from other countries could move ahead in the queue.