DPP: Don't Let Defense Bill Stay Stalled; Taiwan's Defense Strength Showing Gaps

(Central News Agency, Reporter Yeh Su-ping, Taipei, 28th) Ruling and opposition parties consulted on the draft of the National Defense Special Statute yesterday, but no consensus was reached. DPP spokesperson Lin Chu-yin said today that the KMT and TPP clearly have no intention of strengthening national defense, and the so-called "budget supervision" is merely a front. In essence, it is a planned technical boycott attempting to shake international confidence in Taiwan's defense resolve through constant delays. She urged not to let the military procurement bill continue to be blocked, leading to a gap in Taiwan's overall defense strength. Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu yesterday called for another consultation on the draft, entering key articles including procurement items and the amount of funds allocated. After 70 minutes of discussion, no concrete consensus was reached. Han announced that he would call for another consultation on the afternoon of May 6th. The DPP released a press release in which Lin Chu-yin stated that since April 9th, when KMT lawmakers collectively skipped consultations under the guise of the "Xi-Zheng meeting," boycott actions have been continuous. On the 15th, during the first speaker-led consultation, KMT members responded passively, claiming they "didn't know the defense plan." On the 21st, when the Ministry of National Defense presented a "classified special report," KMT members again skipped the session collectively. On the 23rd, the focus was shifted to trivial details, with opposition members insisting that terms like "Communist military threat" and "defense industry" not appear. Lin emphasized that national security should not be a sacrifice in party competition and called for a swift completion of negotiations. (Editor: Zhang Ruo-yao) 1150428