These days, the special arms budget has been a "hot" issue. Supporters and opponents continue to argue. Nonetheless, as a person from Taiwan, I want to use my experience in Australia to illustrate the importance of national security.
I have been living in Australia for more than seven years. I appreciate the peaceful atmosphere in Australia. Everyone there enjoys their lives and the environment they live in. Although Australia has strong alliances with Britain and the US, it still has to buy the most advanced weaponry in order to build a strong line of defense for itself. With this great military force, people living in Australia can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and their economy can grow at a stable rate. Moreover, their government can send troops to help the US military in Iraq.
What the special arms budget is trying to accomplish for Taiwan is a promise that our military force will have more strength against our enemy and provide us with a better place to live. No doubt the special budget is a debt that we will have to carry for many years, and it is perhaps a heavy burden for all of us, but the outcome will give us a more secure environment and lead to better economic growth.
Qiu Yan-long
Australia
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