The US “strongly supports” Taiwan to enhance its whole-of-society resilience, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China, Taiwan and Mongolia Michael Chase said at the Global Taiwan Institute’s annual symposium in Washington on Wednesday, adding that the Legislative Yuan should approve the Executive Yuan’s military budget in favor of “Taiwan’s military defense modernization.”

“Taiwan must be able to deter, degrade and delay potential Chinese aggressions,” even though a cross-strait conflict is neither imminent nor inevitable, Chase said in his closing remarks.

“We support Taiwan’s military in its efforts to acquire asymmetric [warfare] capabilities that are low-cost, mobile, distributed, resilient and lethal,” he said.