Taiwan’s Lai Faces Gridlock Over Defense Spending Urged by Trump

President Lai Ching-te is striking back in his running spat with Taiwan’s opposition-led legislature. His next challenge is pushing through the island’s biggest defense budget on record.

In recent weeks, Lai’s premier has broken with decades of precedent by refusing to sign tax legislation threatening central government funding, a move the opposition called unconstitutional. Shortly after, his lawyers prevailed in a revamp of the top court that would’ve blunted Lai’s ability to challenge laws passed by parliament.