Vice Premier Zheng Li-Jun says the Taiwan-U.S. Agreement on Reciprocal Trade,
or A-R-T, text includes a line on Taiwan keeping defense spending above
3-percent of GDP.

She says the clause records a policy President Lai Ching-te announced in
March last year, before the trade talks began.

Zheng spoke in Washington after Taiwan and the U.S. reached consensus and
signed the agreement after 10 months of negotiations.

Reporters asked how the clause was negotiated and whether a trade pact can
mention budget spending.

Zheng says Taiwan made the pledge on its own to show resolve to defend the
country and has submitted arms budgets to the legislature.

In Taipei, Lai says the 3-percent pledge is unrelated to the A-R-T talks and
came before the U.S. announced reciprocal tariffs.

He says Taiwan's 2026 defense budget already exceeds 3-percent of GDP, so
there should be no implementation problem.

(PB)