TPP denies blocking Cabinet defense bill, claims defense highest priority

Taipei, Feb. 11 (CNA) The Taiwan People's Party (TPP) legislative caucus denied Wednesday that it had obstructed the Cabinet's national defense budget and said it will treat arms procurement legislation as its "most, most, most, most priority bill" this session, according to caucus whip Chen Ching-lung (陳清龍).

Chen said the caucus will support sending the Cabinet's special defense budget to committee for joint review in the Legislative Yuan and move forward with review of both its own proposal and the government's version "for the sake of Taiwan's national defense security."

President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said in the same day that the Cabinet-approved special defense bill has not yet been sent to committee for review and has "been obstructed for two months."

Speaking at a press conference held by the Office of the President, Lai said that he hopes the Legislative Yuan can "turn a new page" when the new session begins and "complete the review of the national defense special bill as soon as possible."

Chen said at a TPP-organized press event that the TPP supports "defense autonomy, increasing Taiwan's defensive combat capability, and enhancing asymmetric warfare capability."

"The TPP has not blocked the national defense budget," Chen said, adding that the party only requests that there be "no blank authorization" and that review can begin "as soon as the session opens."

Chen said that in the TPP's version of the national defense special bill, referred to committee for review on Jan. 30, each weapon item announced for sale to Taiwan by the United States is clearly budgeted. The bill also allocates NT$88.1 billion (US$2.8 billion) to allow for flexible adjustments should procurement needs increase.

"If we truly value national defense, then we should not delay arms procurement any longer," Chen said, urging the Ministry of National Defense to "quickly prepare a special report."

Asked whether the TPP had reached an agreement with the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) to allow the Executive Yuan draft to advance, Chen said the caucus has its own version and also agrees to bring in the Executive Yuan draft for joint review.

Responding to reports that the KMT may introduce two versions of the national defense special bill with budgets of NT$800 billion and NT$900 billion, Chen said that the KMT version has "basically" not yet been proposed, and therefore declined to comment on it.

TPP deputy caucus whip Wang An-hsiang (王安祥) said the version proposed by the TPP in December carried only a tentative budget figure, adding that "if there are new items or amounts, we are willing to adjust again."

The bill "is currently only a draft, and there is still much room for discussion."