Taiwanese Lawmakers Debate Defense Budget

Legislators in Taiwan are split regarding the scale of military procurement, with debate centering on whether the figure is 800 billion or 380 billion TWD. Vice chairman Johnny Chiang criticized Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu, threatening expulsion from the party if he prioritizes personal gain over party interests. The Ministry of National Defense submitted a proposal to the Legislative Yuan, but it remains contradictory. The proposed budget is NT$11.1 billion, with NT$2 billion already allocated in the annual budget, leaving approximately NT$9 billion, or NT$3 trillion, as a special budget. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) secretary-general indicated a willingness to accommodate a second wave of US arms sales, estimating the cost at approximately $80 million. A debate over Taiwan's defense budget is intensifying, with the Kuomintang party's legislative caucus proposing a NT$180 billion version. Legislator Cheng Li-wen and other senior party members insist on a party-proposed budget of 380 billion NT dollars, plus additional items. The Democratic Progressive Party's Secretary-General, Chou Yi-hsiu, indicated that the party anticipates a second wave of procurement requests from the US and plans to include an estimated 80 million USD in their calculations. The eight-year timeframe for the budget is also questioned as suitable for an emergency budget. The Ministry of National Defense submitted documents to the Legislative Yuan that are described as contradictory, with only $11.1 billion in proposed funding, of which $2 billion is in the annual budget, leaving $9 billion, or approximately NT$300 billion, for special budgets.