Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te warned that countries in the region would be China's next targets should Beijing seize the democratic island, as he insisted on the need for Taiwan to dramatically shore up its defences. Speaking to AFP in his first interview with a global news agency since taking office in May 2024, Lai said he was confident parliament will approve an additional $40 billion budget to fund crucial defence purchases, including weapons from the United States. Interested in