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Spokesman defends defense budget

There are no cheap national defenses and a country without sufficient national security does not deserve to talk about a better future, a spokesman for the Executive Yuan said Saturday.

Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) made the comments after several groups held a rally in Taipei Saturday to protest the government's arms procurement proposal.

The Cabinet has proposed a special budget of NT$610.8 billion to buy six Patriot-III anti-missile systems, eight diesel-electric submarines and a squadron of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft from the US.

The Legislative Yuan will soon examine the proposed budget.

Taiwan has to pay the price if it wants to defend itself, the spokesman said, adding that in the face of China's military threats, the psychological fortifications of the people are as important as national defense.

He added that the Executive Yuan is worried about "those who have been trying to disseminate the theory and argument of defeatism."

Chen further said that to strengthen Taiwan's national defense in the coming decade, the proposed arms procurement is a choice that cannot be replaced.

Explaining the guidelines of Taiwan's current national defense policy and its defensive strategy, Chen said that the nation's armed forces will never provoke China or fire the first shot, and that such guidelines will remain unchanged in the near future.

China's current strategy is to use its M-9 and M-11 missiles to paralyze Taiwan's military command and communications systems, the spokesman said.

As such it is absolutely necessary for the island to procure the Patriot-III anti-missile systems, he said.

It is also necessary for Taiwan to establish a sufficient deterrent military force, Chen said.
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