Taiwan will push its defense budget past a trillion New Taiwan dollars for the first time, a sign it is bracing for pressure from China — good news for drone and robotics makers, and for the island's deterrence.

• President Lai Ching-te said next year's defense budget will top NT$1.3 trillion, a record.
• The money goes to weapons purchases, cooperation with other countries, and building weapons at home.
• Drones and robots are named as priority industries for the military build-out.
• Strong growth is paying for it: the economy grew 8.76% last year and 14.15% in the first half of this year, lifting tax revenue.
• Overseas Taiwanese business owners are cast as the bridge to global markets, now anchored in chips, AI, and smart manufacturing supply chains.

Outlook: Expect the spending plan to draw a sharp response from Beijing and to funnel orders toward Taiwan's own drone and defense-tech firms.