TAIPEI: Taiwan's parliament should pass a stalled special defence budget to send a signal to China and the world that it is serious about peace through strength, US Senator Jim Banks said during a meeting with President Lai Ching-te in Taipei. Lai last year proposed US$40 billion in extra defence spending to counter China, which views the island as its own territory. Parliament, where the opposition has a majority, is continuing to debate the government's plan and competing, less expensive