TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s opposition lawmakers have blocked President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) proposed eight-year special defense budget for the fourth time, prompting renewed criticism from the ruling DPP, per CNA.
DPP Spokesperson Han Ying (韓瑩) said KMT and TPP lawmakers used their numerical advantage to block the NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) defense budget in the legislative Procedure Committee on Tuesday. The move prevents the spending bill from being placed on Friday's legislative agenda.
The KMT argued that the proposed defense spending bill lacks transparency and includes unproven weapons systems that could lead to wasteful expenditures. The TPP said Lai should first fulfill a campaign pledge to brief lawmakers on national security strategy, US arms purchases, and overall defense budget planning, before the special budget is reviewed.
Han rejected the claims, saying opposition legislators are deliberately disregarding legislative procedures. She said the bill could be fully deliberated if the Procedure Committee allowed it to appear on the legislative agenda.
Only then, she said, can lawmakers and the public scrutinize procurement details intended to strengthen defense resilience and enhance Taiwan’s asymmetric warfare capabilities.
In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Han further alleged that KMT lawmaker Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲), the convener of the Procedure Committee, admitted to contacting China’s Taiwan Affairs Office in Xiamen during a recent trip to China. Furthermore, Weng had made comments threatening to block Lai's defense budget.
Han also criticized KMT Chair Cheng Li-wen (鄭麗文), saying her remarks at a university speech on Tuesday that the party had no intention of blocking arms purchases were contradicted less than a day later when KMT lawmakers again halted the defense budget bill. The KMT has yet to respond to the allegations.
She further criticized the KMT for repeatedly ignoring warnings from the international community and accused the opposition of sending dangerous signals by blocking defense-related legislation. She questioned why opposition parties oppose strengthening defense while avoiding open discussion of their exchanges with China, asking whose interests they ultimately serve.
