Taiwanese President Blasts Opposition Over Cuts of Defense Budget
(MENAFN) Taiwan's Vice President, William Lai Ching-te, sharply criticized opposition parties on Tuesday for making significant cuts to the nation's defense budget.
In a speech at the Lions Clubs International event in Taipei, which marked the fourth session of the 10 Talks on the Country, Lai reaffirmed Taiwan’s commitment to defense reform. He emphasized that the government remains dedicated to building a modern military, strengthening alliances with "friendly countries," and annually boosting defense spending. Lai shared his statements via a Facebook post.
Lai noted that while a 3% GDP allocation was originally earmarked for defense, the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's single-chamber legislature, had previously "froze" the allocated funds.
The opposition-dominated Legislative Yuan has been at odds with Lai's administration on defense spending. Twenty-four members of the Kuomintang (KMT), the main opposition party, are currently facing controversial recall elections initiated by Lai's government.
According to Lai, the freeze on defense funds "not only affected the operation of the national army, but also caused the international community to misunderstand Taiwan's determination to defend itself."
Lai vowed that Taiwan will continue to prioritize defense spending, ensuring growth in this crucial area.
"We are not merely purchasing [arms articles], we are also manufacturing them ourselves [and] co-developing, designing and producing [them] with the United States," Lai was quoted as saying, according to a news agency.
The cuts made by opposition lawmakers in January included halving the funding for a key defense submarine project. Additionally, significant reductions were applied to the overall national budget, according to media.
A total of NT$8.4 billion (approximately $286 million) was slashed from the proposed NT$647 billion defense budget, with an additional freeze of about NT$90 billion. Some of these frozen funds were later released, as reported by the outlet.
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