Taiwan is failing to adequately plan for its own defense, a former senior official warned, as the island faces a political deadlock over a military spending bill and an upcoming visit by the opposition leader to Beijing.

In an op-ed for Nikkei, a former lawmaker and one-time spokesperson for the previous Taiwanese president warned that the island — which China claims as a renegade province — was not doing enough to strengthen its energy independence and defense capabilities in the face of mainland pressure.

The piece came as a proposed expansion of military spending stalled in parliament; tomorrow’s divisive visit by the leader of the opposition Kuomintang party, the first such trip in a decade, is likely to deepen that deadlock.