Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday expressed outrage at what it called hugely increased weapons budget following a closed-door briefing with Vice Minister of National Defense Huo Shou-yeh (
Prior to the legislature's National Defense Committee meeting, Huo visited the DPP's legislative caucus office to introduce the ministry's NT$610 billion budget for weapons procurement to DPP lawmakers and to ask their support for future votes on the bill.
"It seems to me that the ministry is extorting the legislature," said DPP Lawmaker Lee Wen-chung (李文忠).
"Huo only proposed a two-page brief about the NT$610 billion budget during the meeting. Why do we need this much? What are we going to buy? Huo's brief did not answer any of these questions," he said.
accounting
In response to Lee's complaint, Huo said that the budget would be used to purchase weapons from the US. During the negotiations, Huo said, "They [lawmakers] did ask us to prepare some accounting before our next conversation," Huo said.
According to Huo, in the process of weapons procurement nothing was certain until the ministry received the bills from the arms manufacturers.
"The budget is only an estimate," said Huo. "I will report the detailed prices to lawmakers at the National Defense Committee in the future when the invoices are available."
In fact, the annual budget submitted to the legislature never gives a detailed accounting for the categories of national defense and other intelligence agencies, for reasons of security.
submarines
However, after the meeting DPP Legislator Tang Huo-sheng (湯火聖) quoted Huo's report and said that approximately NT$400 billion would be used to purchase submarines as well as necessary expenses relating to them.
These would include the purchase of 144 MK48 torpedoes, 72 rockets as well as training for submarine personnel.
In addition, he said, the nation might also look to Spain and Germany regarding its purchase of submarines.
Although DPP lawmakers were complaining about the huge arms budget, Premier Yu Shyi-kun said that such weapons are needed.
"According to military an-alyses by the US, by 2005 the military balance across the strait will no longer exist and the Chinese military will be able to launch a large-scale attack toward Taiwan. We definitely need better defense," Yu said.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if the next president of that country decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said today. “We would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said during a legislative hearing. At the same time, Taiwan is paying close attention to the Central American region as a whole, in the wake of a visit there earlier this year by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Lin said. Rubio visited Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala, during which he