Taiwanese Defense Budget Faces Internal Party Disputes

A faction within the DPP, known as 'New Tide', is reportedly taking on public projects, including high-speed rail and railway infrastructure. The controversy continues to escalate. The biggest consensus currently is the necessity of a procurement list. Of this, US$2 billion has already been included in the annual budget, leaving approximately US$9.1 billion, of which approximately NT$300 billion is a special budget. Therefore, the materials submitted by the Ministry of National Defense to the Legislative Yuan today are still contradictory. The issue of the eight-year term is whether it is suitable for an emergency budget. Therefore, the DPP's attitude is to first calculate the amount of the second wave of arms procurement, which is approximately US$80 million. Taiwan's proposed defense budget faces internal contradictions, with the National Defense Ministry submitting a plan to the legislature that includes $11.1 billion in funding. Legislators proposed 180 billion NT dollars, while party chairman Zheng Liwen and other senior officials insist on 380 billion NT dollars plus additional items. Vice chairman Ji Lianlun criticized Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu, threatening expulsion if he prioritized personal gain over the party. The Ministry of National Defense submitted a proposal to the Legislative Yuan that is still contradictory, with an 8-year timeline for emergency budget items. The Kuomintang legislative caucus proposed a NT$1.11 trillion (approximately $3.4 billion USD) version, while party chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu and other senior officials insist on a NT$3.8 trillion (approximately $11.7 billion USD) version.