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For the news and stories shaping the Asia-Pacific region, join me,
Mariko Oi, every Wednesday and Saturday for Asia-specific, from the BBC World Service.
Whether it's the latest entree between China and the US,
or South Korea's K-pop-inspired soft power strategy.
We're unpacking what key players are thinking and bringing you an Asian perspective on the stories that matter.
Watch Asia-specific on the BBC World Service YouTube channel or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Hello and welcome to News Hour from the BBC World Service.
We're coming to you live from London.
I'm Krupal Bhatti and it's very good to have your company.
We start this hour with Taiwan's plans to introduce a $40 billion additional defence budget to counter the rising threat from China.
This money will focus on Taiwan's drones, missiles and missile defence systems.
President William Lai unveiled that package today and said that there is no room for compromise on national security.
To take you back, China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory,
and this conflict is deep-rooted.
It goes back to 1949 when the Chinese Communist Party won the Chinese Civil War.
This then led to the founding of the People's Republic of China on the mainland,
but the opposing Nationalist Party retreated to the island of Taiwan,
which is roughly 100 miles from the coast of southeast China.
Tensions have been rife ever since.