Taiwan Parties Slash Drone Budgets, Contradicting Mayor's Support

Taiwanese students achieved second and third place in drone football at the FIDA Korea Intercontinental Cup, but their future endeavors face a significant hurdle. Legislators from the ruling and opposition parties are proposing substantial cuts and freezes to the budget allocated for drone procurement in schools.

Specifically, the Taiwan People's Party caucus proposed slashing 200 million New Taiwan dollars from a budget for 7010 drones, including football, programmable, and aerial drones for 175 schools. The Kuomintang caucus has moved to freeze all Ministry of Education budgets related to drone cultivation. This action extends to the executive branch's "Integrated Plan for the Development of Unmanned Vehicle Industry," which has also been entirely frozen.

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The KMT and TPP's actions in the legislature, where they are significantly cutting or freezing relevant budgets, even potentially freezing them entirely, are they trying to slap Mayor Chiang in the face?

Democratic Progressive Party legislator Wu Pei-yi criticized the move, pointing out that Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an had previously experienced drone football and expressed support. She questioned whether the KMT and TPP's actions in the legislature were an attempt to contradict the mayor. Wu emphasized that school drone budgets are crucial for nurturing technological talent and ensuring the future development of young people in Taiwan's rapidly growing drone industry, which has seen significant increases in output and exports.

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We must know the diagnosis before we can treat. How can we speak if we know nothing?