'Autumn Struggle' marchers slam Lai's NT$1.25 trillion defense plan

Taipei, Nov. 30 (CNA) Around 200 people marched in Taipei on Sunday in the annual "Autumn Struggle" protest, criticizing President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.85 billion) supplementary defense budget and urging the government to prioritize social welfare spending.

Traditionally one of Taiwan's main labor demonstrations, but now encompassing broader social issues, the event began outside the Legislative Yuan with speeches on labor rights, opposition to war and objections to Taiwan's growing defense outlays.

At the rally on Ketagalan Boulevard, opposition Kuomintang Chairperson Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of neglecting workers while treating large-scale military procurement as routine.

"Taiwanese workers have been stuck in a deep winter for many years, yet they have not received even a glance of concern from those in power," she said, arguing that Lai's proposed NT$1.25 trillion plan, covering arms purchases and joint development projects with the United States from 2026 to 2033, risked inflaming cross-strait tensions rather than easing them.

Protest organizer Lin Tzu-wen (林子文) estimated the turnout at about 200 people.

Among the participants was Chen Hung-pei (陳虹霈) of the People Democracy Party, who argued that expanding arms spending by "such a large amount" primarily served U.S. interests and diverted funds from groups in need.

For example, she said, Taiwan's long-term care system only provides about three hours of daily home-care services to people with muscular atrophy.

"This is far from enough," she said, adding that if just a "fraction" of the NT$1.25 trillion -- about NT$200 billion -- were redirected to the long-term care budget, "it could instead allow them to receive nine hours of care a day."

The DPP did not directly respond to the demands raised at the event, but issued a statement around the time of the rally rejecting Cheng's criticisms.

In the face of China's continued military pressure, the DPP said, Taiwan has a responsibility to "be prepared for war without seeking war," a principle it said has guided the government from former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to Lai.