US diplomat urges drone arsenal for Taiwan against China

The demand is set against the backdrop of Chinese pressure on Taiwan. In recent years, the People's Republic has significantly intensified its military influence over the democratically governed and industrially highly developed island, Greene said. Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan's territory and considers the island part of the People's Republic. Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949, after the nationalist government fled to the island following its defeat in the Chinese civil war.

Ukraine as a model

Greene pointed to the war in Ukraine as evidence of the effectiveness of drones. Even against superior conventional forces, unmanned systems had significantly strengthened defensive capabilities. Drones offered a groundbreaking opportunity to enhance Taiwan's security and consolidate peace in the region, he said. He also suggested a "democratic" drone production: the US and Taiwan could anchor a "democratic" drone production and thereby strengthen the collective deterrence of the free world.

President Lai Ching-te had emphasized just on Wednesday that building up asymmetric combat capabilities was a "race against time." His government has made drones and other so-called asymmetric weapons systems a priority. Lai rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and makes clear that only the people on the island can decide their future.

Internal debate in Taiwan

In May, however, the opposition-dominated parliament approved only two-thirds of the additional defense spending requested by Lai. The cuts illustrate the political frictions within Taiwan over the proper scale of rearmament – even though the basic consensus on the need for asymmetric defense remains.

The United States does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan but is its most important international supporter and arms supplier. Greene's remarks thus reflect an indirect but clear line from Washington to strengthen Taiwan's defense capabilities through modern, cost-effective technologies, without directly entering a conventional arms race.

Tensions with Beijing

Military observers see drones as a core element of modern defense strategies, as they can be produced in large numbers and deployed flexibly. The idea of a "hornet's nest" – that is, a dense swarm defense – aims to make a potential attack as costly and lossy as possible. For Taiwan, such an approach would be a consistent continuation of the asymmetric doctrine, which relies on mobile, hard-to-detect systems rather than large platforms.

A response from Beijing is pending. China has repeatedly protested in the past against US arms deliveries and military aid to Taiwan, criticizing them as interference in internal affairs. At the same time, Beijing is stepping up its own military activities around the island, underscoring from Washington's perspective the urgency of Taiwan's rearmament.