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Lawmaker Accused of Derailing Explosives Deal, Hits Back at 'Blame Game'

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Legislator Ma Wen-chun is accused of jeopardizing a crucial RDX explosives procurement deal by revealing the source country as India.
  • Critics claim this disclosure led India to deny export permits, while Ma argues the Ministry of National Defense is trying to shift blame.
  • Ma questioned why the deal didn't directly procure from the U.S. given its status as a primary supplier and urged waiting for an investigation into the procurement process.

A significant arms procurement deal for RDX explosives has reportedly collapsed, with accusations flying that opposition legislator Ma Wen-chun's actions derailed the process. The deal, crucial for bolstering the military's combat readiness and ammunition resilience, allegedly fell apart after Ma publicly disclosed in December that the intended source country was India.

If the United States is the best source, military procurement should be without issue.

— Ma Wen-chunResponding to accusations that her actions jeopardized a crucial RDX explosives procurement deal.

Sources familiar with defense procurement claim that Ma's revelation effectively alerted Beijing, prompting India to subsequently refuse the necessary export permits. Adding to the controversy, opposition parties have also reportedly eliminated budget allocations for domestic production lines. However, Ma Wen-chun has pushed back against these claims, suggesting the Ministry of National Defense is attempting to evade responsibility.

Speaking to reporters, Ma questioned the rationale behind not directly sourcing from the United States, which she identified as a primary producer of RDX and a long-term supplier to Taiwan for ammunition and parts. She suggested that if the U.S. is the optimal source, procurement should have proceeded without issue. Ma urged that any potential controversies be investigated by judicial authorities, stating, "Don't just shift the blame."

Don't just shift the blame.

— Ma Wen-chunUrging authorities to await judicial investigation into the collapsed RDX procurement deal.

Ma further pointed out the apparent contradiction in the procurement process. She noted that the tender for the RDX deal was only issued in December, and questioned why the military would seek external procurement if it could establish its own production lines within a short period. This, she argued, highlights potential issues with the tender itself. Ma concluded that further examination of the Ministry of National Defense's stated requirements and production plans is necessary, as the current plans do not appear to include the specific production line in question.

If it could establish its own production lines within a short period, why did it seek external procurement at that time?

— Ma Wen-chunQuestioning the necessity of external procurement for RDX explosives given potential domestic production capabilities.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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