The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday proposed a new suggestion for the disputed arms procurement bill, proposing that the cost of designing submarines be budgeted as an advance purchase in this year's budget.
The caucus said that the suggestion might offer a solution to legislators' disagreement over the submarines' purchase.
The caucus drew up the description during its caucus meeting yesterday after Chinese National Party (KMT) Legislator Su Chi (蘇起) said that the KMT caucus is considering to delaying the procurement of submarines from the US.
Su said that submarines are offensive weapons and thus inappropriate for national defense, while Shuai Hua-min (
"The procurement of submarines is very important to improve the nation's defense capacity, as they can effectively deter an invasion by China," DPP Legislator Lee Wen-chung (
In view of China's increasing military threat against Taiwan over the past 20 years, Taiwan needed the weapons to strengthen its deterrent capacity so that it could maintain peace in the Strait, Lee added.
DPP Legislator Tang Huo-shen (湯火聖) said that while pan-blue legislators are divided on the acquisition of the submarines, scheduling the cost of designing the submarines as an advance purchase might be an acceptable compromise.
Lee said that if opposition legislators were to approve the design cost as an advance purchase in the current legislative session, the price and number of submarines would be negotiable.
On the other two weapons systems in the arms package, the DPP caucus suggested passing the additional budget for the procurement of 12 P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, delaying the proposal to buy three PAC-3 anti-missile batteries and upgrading the PAC-2 missile batteries instead.
KMT officials have said that the party will present its own version of a military procurement plan and consult with the People First Party (PFP) and the Non-Partisan Solidarity Union (NPSU) before introducing related legislation in the Legislative Yuan.
KMT Secretary-General Chan Chuen-po (詹春柏) told reporters on Thursday that the three opposition parties have agreed that Taiwan needs anti-submarine aircraft -- one of three items the DPP government has been trying to buy from the US as part of the controversial arms package.
However, he added, there was no consensus yet on whether Taiwan needed to buy Patriot PAC-3 missiles and conventional submarines -- the other two items in the government's purchase plan.
Chan said that the KMT could not determine make-up of the military procurement plan alone and had to respect the opinions of the PFP and the NPSU.
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