Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen delivers a speech during the year-end media event at the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology in Taoyuan county, Taiwan, Friday, Dec. 29, 2017. Tsai pledged Friday to step up military spending to defend the self-ruled island’s sovereignty in the face of China’s growing assertiveness in the region. Foto: Chiang Ying-ying