Chiu Kuo-cheng: Only One KMT Legislator Attended Secret Briefing; Will Continue Communication
Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng reported on military procurement special legislation, noting only one KMT legislator was present. He pledged continued communication with all parties to gain support for the NT$1.25 trillion budget, emphasizing the importance of strengthening national defense.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 20, 2026 at 14:46
- 🔍 Collected: April 20, 2026 at 15:01 (15 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 10:12 (19h 10m after Collected)
(Central News Agency reporter Wu Shu-yu, Taipei, April 20) The Legislative Yuan's Foreign and National Defense Committee held a secret meeting today to invite Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng to report on the implementation plan for the military procurement special law. Chiu Kuo-cheng stated after the meeting that during the briefing, only KMT Legislator Chen Chien-fu was present. The Ministry of National Defense will continue to communicate with all political parties. If legislators are willing to hear the entire confidential briefing, the Ministry will support the allocation of NT$1.25 trillion in the budget.
Chiu Kuo-cheng stated that today's meeting fully explained the military procurement special law's requirements for enhancing the overall combat capabilities of the military in terms of procurement, commercial purchases, and commissioned manufacturing. Some matters involve sensitive information and are not convenient for public disclosure, but the publicly releasable parts will be disclosed.
Chiu Kuo-cheng pointed out that although TPP Legislator Wang An-hsiang and Liu Shu-bin attended today's meeting, only KMT Legislator Chen Chien-fu was present when he was giving his report. No other KMT legislators were seen. The Ministry of National Defense will continue to communicate with all political parties to help them understand the overall plan. The Ministry of National Defense is confident that once legislators are willing to hear the entire confidential briefing, they will support the Ministry of National Defense's budget allocation of NT$1.25 trillion.
Regarding how to communicate if KMT legislators continue to be absent from confidential briefings, Chiu Kuo-cheng said that the draft of the military procurement special law will be presided over by Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu for party caucus negotiations. Therefore, it depends on whether the party caucuses can agree to allow legislators to understand the necessity of commercial purchases and commissioned manufacturing under the military procurement special law, while maintaining confidentiality. He hopes that both government and opposition parties will rationally review the budget to strengthen national defense capabilities.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting, who chaired the meeting, stated that KMT legislators Chen Chien-fu and Lai Shih-bao participated in the discussion process of today's meeting. However, it is regrettable that this confidential briefing was intended for legislators not serving on external committees to attend. He expressed regret that some KMT legislators were absent today but believes that Chen Chien-fu and Lai Shih-bao can discuss the meeting's content with the KMT caucus.
'The doors are wide open,' Chen Kuan-ting said. He added that TPP legislators Wang An-hsiang and Liu Shu-bin were also present at today's meeting. He hopes the KMT's leadership and party whip will reconsider, and since important KMT figures are leaning towards supporting the defense law, whether concerns about commercial purchases and commissioned manufacturing can be raised during negotiations or when coordinating with Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu. (Editor: Hsieh Chia-jen) April 20, 2026
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Chiu Kuo-cheng stated that today's meeting fully explained the military procurement special law's requirements for enhancing the overall combat capabilities of the military in terms of procurement, commercial purchases, and commissioned manufacturing. Some matters involve sensitive information and are not convenient for public disclosure, but the publicly releasable parts will be disclosed.
Chiu Kuo-cheng pointed out that although TPP Legislator Wang An-hsiang and Liu Shu-bin attended today's meeting, only KMT Legislator Chen Chien-fu was present when he was giving his report. No other KMT legislators were seen. The Ministry of National Defense will continue to communicate with all political parties to help them understand the overall plan. The Ministry of National Defense is confident that once legislators are willing to hear the entire confidential briefing, they will support the Ministry of National Defense's budget allocation of NT$1.25 trillion.
Regarding how to communicate if KMT legislators continue to be absent from confidential briefings, Chiu Kuo-cheng said that the draft of the military procurement special law will be presided over by Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu for party caucus negotiations. Therefore, it depends on whether the party caucuses can agree to allow legislators to understand the necessity of commercial purchases and commissioned manufacturing under the military procurement special law, while maintaining confidentiality. He hopes that both government and opposition parties will rationally review the budget to strengthen national defense capabilities.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting, who chaired the meeting, stated that KMT legislators Chen Chien-fu and Lai Shih-bao participated in the discussion process of today's meeting. However, it is regrettable that this confidential briefing was intended for legislators not serving on external committees to attend. He expressed regret that some KMT legislators were absent today but believes that Chen Chien-fu and Lai Shih-bao can discuss the meeting's content with the KMT caucus.
'The doors are wide open,' Chen Kuan-ting said. He added that TPP legislators Wang An-hsiang and Liu Shu-bin were also present at today's meeting. He hopes the KMT's leadership and party whip will reconsider, and since important KMT figures are leaning towards supporting the defense law, whether concerns about commercial purchases and commissioned manufacturing can be raised during negotiations or when coordinating with Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu. (Editor: Hsieh Chia-jen) April 20, 2026
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Reproduction, public broadcast, or public transmission and use of the text, images, and videos on this website are prohibited without authorization.