TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) on Thursday urged legislators to quickly pass the proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special defense budget.
The world is watching whether Taiwan will demonstrate resolve in enhancing its own defense and military preparedness, Kuo said, per CNA. She noted that nearly 70% of the public in Taiwan supports passing defense-related budgets, and called on legislators to help push the proposal forward.
However, Kuo said opposition party budget proposals exclude domestic defense initiatives, including drones and related domestic defense supply chains, which is concerning. The TPP bill proposes a cap of NT$400 billion, while the KMT bill allocates NT$380 billion along with additional funding tied to future letters of offer and acceptance.
When asked about reports that Beijing had pressured collaborators in Taiwan to prevent passage of the special defense budget bill before any Trump-Xi meeting, Kuo reiterated her call for the budget to be passed quickly. She said national defense should transcend party divisions.
Taiwan’s parties failed to agree on procurement items and the total budget cap during a fourth round of bill negotiations on Wednesday. Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) said that since no agreement was reached, the case will be handled according to standard legislative procedure.
As the bill has already surpassed its one-month “cooling-off period” for negotiations, it could be brought to the floor for a vote as early as May 8, Han said.
