President William Lai’s (賴清德) latest speech was not fact-based and included rumors, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) said today.
In Taipei last night, Lai delivered his fourth speech in a series of 10, focusing on national security and supporting the military.
Hsu, who was speaking at a news conference hosted by former Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), called Lai out on his statements about several military budget issues.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
While Lai said that the budget for the Chiayi County drone project was frozen, the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee has already unfrozen it, Hsu said.
As for the domestic submarine project, the budget has never been frozen or cut; it was only subject to more oversight, Hsu said.
“How can the commander of our armed forces continue to spread false news?” Hsu asked.
While Lai said the budget for the Hai Kun (海鯤), or “Narwhal,” was frozen, it is pending the indigenous defense submarine prototype passing its ongoing tests, Hsu said.
The budget for the submarine is still there and can be used after testing, which is is a positive measure, she added.
Lai is spreading fake news, as it is the responsibility of legislators to safeguard the armed forces, Hsu said.
Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) promised that the budget for subsequent submarines would not be used until the Hai Kun completes its tests, she said.
Responding to Lai’s statement that the national defense budget freeze and cuts were the largest in history, Hsu said that 97 percent of the cuts came from one drone project.
The budget was cut by NT$4.68 billion (US$160.41 million), NT$4.57 billion of which was for the drone project, she said.
It had a pricing error that saw its cost estimate rise from between NT$5.5 billion and NT$6 billion to NT$11.5 billion, leading to the extra portion being deleted, she said.
Among those who voted for the cut was Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇), who is the committee’s convener and ended up being the deciding vote, Hsu said.
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