Stories from Taipei · Taiwan

The Kuomintang legislative caucus held a meeting to discuss the National Defense Special Budget Act. This proposal follows claims regarding a 1.25 trillion TWD budget that allegedly lacked specific content or projects. The party maintains that it has historically led efforts in supporting military procurement. The party stated the decision was made to ensure a unified stance on national defense. KMT representatives stated they would immediately initiate legislative review procedures for a potential 14 billion USD second-phase military procurement. The party expressed skepticism regarding the timing and transparency of previously discussed 14 billion USD arms deals. The party questioned the urgency of previous reports regarding imminent 14 billion USD arms purchases that have not yet materialized.

Secretary Michael Wong stated the government does not rule out reclaiming units at Wong Chi House through legislative means. This follows homeowners refusing to accept the government's buyout offer for the only block at the site not destroyed in a deadly fire last November.

Taipei officials report insufficient momentum in transitioning to electric scooters, with only 31 new units planned for the 115th year despite an average annual need for over 100.

Taiwan Coast Guard Administration Chairperson Kan Pi-ling defended her recent visit to Taiping Island to preside over the Nanyuan No. Taiwanese Ocean Affairs Council Chairperson Kan Pi-ling defended the country's sovereignty following Vietnamese protests over recent maritime exercises. Taiwan stated it will maintain its position regarding sovereignty over islands such as Taiping Island and Zhongzhou Reef. Taiwan administration sources stated that emergency plans must be implemented to defend against a potential Chinese invasion. The sources indicated that a situation involving missile escorts could take up to six years to develop. The report noted the necessity of preparing for such a scenario in the short term. French commentators stated that the Chinese narrative claiming Taiwan is part of China is false. They asserted that Taiwan has never been part of China.

A 72-year-old woman and a local community leader were injured during an incident involving an 18-year-old high school student. The student was reportedly being stalked by a man and called her grandmother for help.

A driver for the Blue 38 bus line in New Taipei City engaged in a conflict with a passenger. The passenger reportedly accused the driver of driving recklessly after tapping their card to exit.

The Gaode Maps application recently launched a traffic light countdown feature in Taiwan. The Taiwan Affairs Office stated that the popularity of the mainland Chinese navigation app Gaode Maps in Taiwan is being met with restrictions by the Ministry of Digital Affairs, which views the product as a threat to national information security. Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) will spend NT$3.95 billion (US$125.2 million) to implement a next-generation centralized traffic control system. The investment aims to upgrade the existing infrastructure for improved rail management.

The Kuomintang party leadership in Taiwan aims to revert a proposed 800 billion TWD military procurement budget back to its original three-year schedule.

Taiwanese Finance Minister Chuang Tsui-yun stated during a Legislative Yuan Finance and Defense Committee meeting that a data error occurred due to companies uploading duplicate information.

A member of the Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party stated that 862 people were killed during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. The individual expressed a willingness to speak out against perceived misinformation from media controlled by the Democratic Progressive Party. The speaker said a commitment to opposing 'bad actors' in Taiwanese society. A politician in Taiwan questioned why children of high-ranking Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials have not joined the military service. The speaker noted there are 6,000 available positions and suggested that officials' children should lead by example, similar to the Israel Defense Forces. The comment addressed the lack of visible participation among the offspring of the political elite. The statement calls for officials to set a demonstration effect regarding national defense resource awareness.