Academics and social activists spoke out yesterday at a forum held by the Democracy Advancement Alliance (DAA) in Taipei, saying that the Cabinet's plan to spend NT$610.8 billion (US$18.23 billion) on arms from the US is a dangerous step towards a debilitating arms race with China.
The special budget of NT$610.8 billion (US$18.25 billion) was approved by the Cabinet earlier this month for the purchase of arms from the US.
The bill, due for review in the legislature, says that the money will be spent over 15 years.
Although some forum members said that the government's actions were an over-reaction to a Chinese "military bluff," others emphasized that regardless of the strength of the threat, Taiwan could not hope to win any arms race with China.
Panelists drew parallels to the 1980s arms race between US and the former Soviet Union, saying that Taiwan had neither the funds nor ability to sustain a protracted arsenal competition with China.
"Historical example shows us that arms races are never ending," said Hsu Cho-yun (
During the cold-war, then US President Ronald Reagan embarked on an arms race with the Soviet Union, driving the Soviet economy to ruin.
Panelists questioned how much spending would be enough in Taiwan's case.
"Presently, the government is reacting to some 600 missiles pointed in our direction from Fujian Province with an arms spending package of NT$610 billion," said Yang Kai-huang (楊開煌), president of the Mainland China Studies Association and a professor at National Dong Hwa University.
"How much should we spend, then, on military arms if they point further missiles at us from Nanking? How much if they point all of their missiles at us?"
The group criticized President Chen Shui-bian (
"Is this huge amount of money being spent for the protection of Taiwan, or is it for the protection of Taiwan-American relations?" panelists asked.
This whole situation is a joke -- the US must think that we are suckers," said former independent legislator and Taipei National University of the Arts professor Chu Hui-liang (
The arms spending package may also be against the public will.
"I'm worried about the progress of democracy in Taiwan," Chu said. "The public already made its will clear during the March 20th referendum. The Chen administration is overstepping its boundaries with the arms budget that it has decided on without first engaging in any public discussion," he said, referring to the failure of the referendum on an anti-missile system purchase this March.
Panelists also blasted the government for earmarking so much of the nation's resources for arms purchases when there were many other domestic issues that needed financing, such as education and environmental reform.
The DAA and social activists said that they would battle the arms purchase by increasing public awareness and discussion about the budget.
They aim to ask legislators to clarify their stance on the budget and a possible referendum on the topic to the people and called on opposition parties to stand with the people on this matter.
Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said. Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed. In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RSS