President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday said that he expected constructive discussions with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on a revised arms-procurement package, as the Ministry of National Defense announced it would redirect items from the bill to its regular budget.
"The special arms budget has been unreasonably blocked by the pan-blue-camp parties on 26 occasions in the legislature. There has been no chance for the arms bill to be discussed in the legislature," Chen said. "But with Ma assuming the KMT chairmanship last week, I expect to have a reasonable and practical discussion on the arms bill and national security issues with Ma as soon as possible."
Chen made the comments during a military ceremony in Kinmen yesterday.
PHOTO: WU CHENG-TING, TAIPEI TIMES
The reallocation of items is an apparent attempt to make the bill more palatable to the pan-blue camp. But Ma yesterday seemed uninterested in Chen's agenda or holding a meeting, and tersely suggested that the arms issue should be dealt with by the caucuses in the legislature.
Presidential Office Secretary-General Yu Shyi-kun then said that Ma should clarify his stance on important bills.
"Arms procurement concerns national security. The responsibility has to be taken by both the government and opposition parties, including the majority [party in the legislature]. In short, everyone must share responsibility, and that includes the KMT chairman," he said.
The defense ministry said it would trim the NT$480 billion (US$15 billion) budget to facilitate its passage through the legislature. Although there would be no change in the weaponry to be bought, part of the special budget would be placed in the regular defense budget, military spokesman Liu Chih-chien (劉志堅) said.
Liu said local reports that the NT$133 billion earmarked for six batteries of PAC-3 missiles would be transferred was one option.
Speaking on Ma's leadership of the KMT, Chen said he expected Ma to take an honest and reasonable approach when negotiating with the government.
"I expect that Ma will avoid partisanship and cooperate with the government in promoting the nation's security," he said.
Chen said Taiwan did not want to be involved in an arms race with China. "Avoiding war" and "stopping war" had been the government's position from the outset, he said.
However, Taiwan had to be prepared for a military attack from China, he said.
"China's more than 700 missiles targeting Taiwan and its introduction of the `Anti-Secession' Law in March legalizing a non-peaceful approach to resolving the Taiwan issue show their intentions," he said.
The original arms bill aimed to purchase three major weapons systems from the US -- eight diesel-electric submarines, 12 P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and PAC-3 Patriot anti-missile batteries.
The delay in approving the arms deal has fueled worries in Washington that Taipei is not serious about its own defense, with some senior US officials calling the budget a litmus test for US-Taiwan relations.
The legislature is set to review the arms budget next month.
Additional reporting by Chiu Yu-tzu
also see story:
KMT willing to review arms plan
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique