Defense Special Bill Draft: Cheng Li-wen Not Opposed to 800 Billion TWD Allocation
KMT Chairman Cheng Li-wen stated she is not opposed to allocating 800 billion TWD for the defense special bill, provided that budgets are only compiled after the US issues official Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOA). She rejected the DPP's 1.25 trillion TWD 'blank check' proposal.
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- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 16:26
- 🔍 Collected: April 28, 2026 at 17:02 (36 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 17:11 (9 min after Collected)
Taipei (CNA) — KMT Chairman Cheng Li-wen stated today that while an 800 billion TWD allocation for the defense special bill could be passed, she insists that military procurement budgets must wait until the US officially issues Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) to Taiwan. The KMT refuses to accept a 'blank check' of 1.25 trillion TWD; if the DPP persists, cross-party negotiations will surely collapse.
Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu convened cross-party negotiations yesterday to discuss key clauses of the defense bill, including procurement items and allocation amounts. After 70 minutes, no consensus was reached. Han announced another negotiation session for May 6 at 3:00 PM.
Cheng Li-wen emphasized in an interview that the Executive Yuan's proposal of 1.25 trillion TWD over eight years is largely a 'blank check' without specific details on recipients or purposes. She urged the DPP to be realistic, stating that insistence on the 1.25 trillion TWD figure will lead to a breakdown in talks. The KMT's version includes a mechanism to begin reviews immediately upon any second wave of US arms sales, ensuring accountability and preventing wasteful spending.
Cheng noted that while some suggest bypassing the wait for the second wave of LOAs to allocate 800 billion TWD immediately, she maintains that the budget compilation must still follow the official US congressional approval. She questioned the fixation on the total amount when the opposition lacks concrete details on the procurement items. While she doesn't rule out future discussions on commercial purchases or drone investments, concrete content is required for accountability to the public.
Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu convened cross-party negotiations yesterday to discuss key clauses of the defense bill, including procurement items and allocation amounts. After 70 minutes, no consensus was reached. Han announced another negotiation session for May 6 at 3:00 PM.
Cheng Li-wen emphasized in an interview that the Executive Yuan's proposal of 1.25 trillion TWD over eight years is largely a 'blank check' without specific details on recipients or purposes. She urged the DPP to be realistic, stating that insistence on the 1.25 trillion TWD figure will lead to a breakdown in talks. The KMT's version includes a mechanism to begin reviews immediately upon any second wave of US arms sales, ensuring accountability and preventing wasteful spending.
Cheng noted that while some suggest bypassing the wait for the second wave of LOAs to allocate 800 billion TWD immediately, she maintains that the budget compilation must still follow the official US congressional approval. She questioned the fixation on the total amount when the opposition lacks concrete details on the procurement items. While she doesn't rule out future discussions on commercial purchases or drone investments, concrete content is required for accountability to the public.