TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has taken steps to increase defense spending in response to US concerns, former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said in an interview with The Sunday Times.

US President Donald Trump has criticized Taiwan for not spending enough on defense, urging the country to allocate 10% of GDP toward military expenditures—far above its current defense budget of 2.5% of GDP.

“We got that message, and we’ll be more than happy to talk about strengthening our defense capabilities,” Tsai said. She added that Taiwan is open to discussions with Washington to determine the best course of action for further defense investments.

Tsai reflected on her 2016 congratulatory phone call with Trump, which she said helped strengthen bilateral ties in economics, education, and cultural exchange. She also noted that the US approved several major arms packages for Taiwan during Trump’s first term.

On national security, she emphasized the importance of "strong, frequent, and clear" communication between Taiwan and the US during Trump’s first term.

Discussing the ongoing war in Ukraine, Tsai suggested that Beijing is closely watching the conflict to draw strategic lessons.

“I hope that they draw the lesson that waging a war across the Taiwan Strait is going to cost them a lot [military, politically, financially] and they should be even more cautious when they are considering this,” she said.