Lai urges unity on special defense budget as China ramps military pressure

Taipei, Jan. 1 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), in his New Year's Day address on Thursday, urged the opposition parties to put national security before partisan politics and swiftly pass a NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.82 billion) special defense budget amid China's "rising expansionary ambitions."

"As president, my position has always been clear: to staunchly defend national sovereignty, strengthen national defense, and enhance whole-of-society defense and resilience, and to comprehensively establish robust deterrence and democratic defense mechanisms," Lai said.

To that end, Lai said, his administration has drafted legal revisions aimed at bolstering national security, and has proposed the special defense budget to strengthen Taiwan's overall defense posture over the next eight years and boost the local weapons manufacturing industry.

"Facing China's alarming military ambitions, Taiwan has no time to wait and certainly no time to consume ourselves with internal strife," Lai said.

"We may hold different views on many issues, but without strong and resilient national defense, there will be no country, nor will there be space allowed for us to debate," the president said, adding that this should be a "national consensus across party lines."

The opposition Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party, which together hold a legislative majority, on Tuesday blocked the review of the special budget for the fifth time, even as China was conducting a massive military exercise in five maritime zones and in the airspace around Taiwan.

In response to a reporter's question after his speech, Lai said it is indeed a worrying thought that some Taiwan-friendly countries might temper their support based on their perception of Taiwan's commitment to self-defense, if the opposition parties continue to boycott the special budget.

"Therefore, I very much hope that the opposition parties will allow this budget to pass, to enable us to better protect this country and its people," he said.

The president told reporters that while the international community was unanimously condemning China's large-scale military drills around Taiwan from Monday to Wednesday, "the opposition parties were still finding excuses for China."

"I hope that the ruling and opposition parties will demonstrate unity," he said. "This is the only way to avoid China getting the wrong message -- that it can invade Taiwan."