▁to ▁back ▁down ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁later ▁after ▁drawing ▁inten se ▁criticism ▁from ▁the ▁U . S . ▁government . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁un bal anced ▁military ▁equation ▁across ▁the ▁Taiwan ▁Stra it , ▁Tai pe i ▁may ▁choose ▁nuclear ▁weapons ▁as ▁a ▁d eter rent ▁against ▁the ▁military ▁enc irc lement ▁by ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China . ▁ ▁Bud get ▁Taiwan ’ s ▁budget ▁figures ▁exclude ▁both ▁the ▁class ified ▁budget ▁and ▁special ▁funds ▁allocated ▁by ▁the ▁Executive ▁Y uan . ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 2 0 ▁special ▁funds ▁exp end it ures ▁were ▁almost ▁ 2 ▁billion ▁a ▁year . ▁ ▁Chief ▁of ▁the ▁General ▁Staff s ▁▁▁ ▁Lin ▁Chen - yi ▁( 5 ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁– ▁ 1 5 ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 3 ) ▁ ▁Y en ▁M ing ▁( 1 6 ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁– ▁ 7 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 3 ) ▁ ▁K ao ▁Ku ang - chi ▁( 8 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁– ▁ 3 0 ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 5 ) ▁ ▁Y en ▁Te h - fa ▁( 3 0 ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁– ▁ 3 0 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 6 ) ▁ ▁Ch iu ▁Ku o - ch eng ▁( 1 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁– ▁ 2 8 ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 7 ) ▁ ▁Lee ▁H si - ming ▁( 2 8 ▁April ▁ 2