Taiwan opposition stalls government’s $6.6 billion drone bill

Taiwan's Parliament, now controlled by opposition parties, blocked the government's proposed $6.6 billion spending bill for domestically manufactured drones on June 26. The legislation was intended to bolster the island's defense against a potential invasion by China, which claims Taiwan as its territory.

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We hope all sides can discuss the different versions once they are proposed.

President Lai Ching-te's administration has been in prolonged disagreement with the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) over defense spending priorities. The government sought to allocate NT$210 billion (approximately $6.6 billion) over five years for the development of various unmanned aerial vehicles, including coastal surveillance, attack, and surface drones.

However, the KMT and TPP, holding a majority in Parliament, refused to consider the bill, stating they would develop their own proposals. KMT lawmaker Hsu Yu-chen expressed support for the drone industry's development and indicated the party would present its alternative version, hoping for cross-party discussion. "We hope all sides can discuss the different versions once they are proposed," Hsu told AFP.

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efforts towards defence self-reliance and the development of critical national industrial (supply) chains should not be obstructed by politics

Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee criticized the obstruction, stating that "efforts towards defence self-reliance and the development of critical national industrial (supply) chains should not be obstructed by politics." Chung Chia-pin, a lawmaker for Lai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), accused the opposition of being obstructionist and delaying tactics. "If next week or the week after they come up with their own version, will they agree at that point to allow other versions to be put under review as well?" he questioned, calling their actions "laggards and cheaters."

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If next week or the week after they come up with their own version, will they agree at that point to allow other versions to be put under review as well? If that happens it will only further prove that they are laggards and cheaters. They haven’t even stepped up to the starting line, but they won’t let anyone else run either.

KMT lawmaker Ma Wen-chun countered that the government's bill was unacceptable, citing repeated opposition to past proposals. Ma argued for a more comprehensive vision and plan for the industry, suggesting funds should be allocated through the annual budget rather than special budgets. This legislative stalemate follows a previous instance in May where the opposition significantly reduced a $25 billion special defense budget proposed by the DPP, removing about $15 billion intended for drone procurement and other defense enhancements.

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It simply brings back the parts we opposed in the past. For overall development of the industry or of drones, we hoped they would present a concrete and comprehensive vision and plan, and basically allocate funds through the annual budget, instead of constantly resorting to special budgets at the drop of a hat.