The government would respond to the Legislative Yuan’s reduced special defense budget by seeking patience from international allies, working with the domestic defense industry and pursuing legal remedies to restore funding in line with budgetary procedures, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said today.
Led by the opposition, the Legislative Yuan passed a special defense bill setting a budget cap of NT$780 billion (US$24.8 billion), NT$470 billion less than the Executive Yuan’s proposed version.
This drastic cut would not only affect the domestic drone industry, but the US Department of State and White House have both expressed disappointment, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin I-chin (林宜瑾) said, asking the Executive Yuan how it would restore international and domestic confidence.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
The original NT$1.25 trillion budget included three main parts: the “Taiwan Shield” for air defense, high-tech systems to build precision strike capability and support for Taiwan’s domestic defense industry, Cho said.
National security, international cooperation and defense industry development cannot be delayed or abandoned, he said, expressing regret that the budget was cut.
While political parties can compete domestically, they should cooperate on national security, as this would lead the international community to trust and cooperate more with Taiwan, the premier said.
Considering that China’s aggression toward Taiwan includes both military and cognitive warfare, Lin asked what steps the Executive Yuan would take now that the special defense budget has been reduced.
The government would first ask international allies for their patience and more time to complete domestic procedures, he said.
Second, it would call on Taiwan’s domestic defense industries to step forward and work closely with the government to develop long-term plans, Cho said.
The Executive Yuan would review budget shortfalls and — in line with the Constitution and Budget Act (預算法) — pursue the most favorable legal and procedural options before resubmitting a proposal to the Legislative Yuan, he said.
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