Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said on Wednesday that Taiwan must demonstrate its resolve to defend itself and pass a six-year, T$210 billion ($6.6 billion) special budget to buy military drones, ahead of a crucial vote in the opposition-controlled parliament. The government says the plan to purchase some 2,10,000 new military drones cannot wait, citing wars in Ukraine and West Asia that have shown the importance of uncrewed weapons in modern warfare. The opposition has put forward its own proposal to cap spending each year at T$40 billion, drawn from the annual budget and overseen by the economy ministry rather than the defence ministry. The government cites the threat from China, which views the democratically governed island as its own territory, in arguing for the urgent acquisition.