Taiwan Legislature Debates Special Defense Act for US Military Purchases, KMT and TPP Propose NT$780 Billion Budget
The Taiwan Legislative Yuan is deliberating a special defense act concerning military purchases from the United States. The Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) have jointly proposed a budget of NT$780 billion to strengthen Taiwan's defense capabilities and deepen its relationship with the US.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 8, 2026 at 11:28
- 🔍 Collected: May 8, 2026 at 11:31 (3 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 8, 2026 at 12:25 (53 min after Collected)
The Legislative Yuan is set to address the special defense act related to military purchases from the United States today. Kuomintang legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi stated strong support for these purchases, announcing that the KMT and TPP will jointly propose a version with a total budget of NT$780 billion. He expressed hope for its passage through third reading today to support Taiwan's defense, urging the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to be open to the proposal.
Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu had previously convened four cross-party consultations on the special defense act, but consensus on key articles such as procurement items and budget allocation remained elusive. On May 6th, Han announced that as no consensus had been reached, the matter would proceed according to regulations. With the consultation period exceeding one month, the bill is eligible for discussion in today's legislative session.
The KMT legislative caucus held a meeting this morning, after which caucus whip Fu Kun-chi, secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang, and chief deputy secretary-general Hsu Yu-chen led KMT legislators in a press conference themed "Support Military Purchases, Protect Taiwan, Investigate Corruption, Guard the Treasury."
Regarding the special defense act, Fu Kun-chi stated that the KMT and TPP will formally co-propose a version today to protect Taiwan, ensure taxpayer money is spent wisely, prevent corruption, and strengthen Taiwan-US defense and relations. The KMT caucus will fully support joint military procurements with the US.
Fu explained that for the first wave of US arms sales to Taiwan, totaling US$11.1 billion, the KMT has authorized the Ministry of National Defense to sign the contract with the US. The KMT caucus also strongly supports the second wave of potential arms sales.
Fu further detailed that based on the US offer and the Ministry of National Defense's project report, the first wave of military purchases amounts to US$11.1 billion. US$2 billion has been allocated in the annual budget, and US$9 billion will be included in a special budget. Therefore, the KMT's proposed version sets the upper limit for the first phase at NT$300 billion.
Fu added that the KMT is willing to fully support the second wave of US arms sales to Taiwan, as reported by the Ministry of National Defense to the legislature, which includes Patriot missiles, Hellfire missiles, and related anti-drone air defense systems. The total amount for this second phase is NT$480 billion. The combined total for the first and second phases is NT$780 billion.
Fu emphasized that the KMT caucus supports related military cooperation with the US and that the KMT and TPP will use a resolution to ensure the Ministry of National Defense includes these budgets in the annual budget and reports to the Legislative Yuan each year.
Taiwan People's Party legislative caucus deputy whip Wang An-hsiang stated at a press conference this morning that after four cross-party consultations, preliminary consensus has been reached on the special military purchase act. Article 5 includes items for which official offer and acceptance documents have been received, along with authorization measures. To expedite the process and avoid waiting for the second batch of military purchases to propose a new special act, Article 6 incorporates potential second-wave military purchases into the draft.
Wang noted that regarding the budget, after careful calculation, the first batch of military purchases might be slightly less than NT$320 billion, with the verified amount being NT$300 billion. The second batch is estimated at NT$480 billion, making the total budget scale NT$780 billion.
Wang added that the special act is being proposed now, with a special budget to follow. The TPP supports national defense but also emphasizes its oversight role. After the special act passes, he hopes for a dedicated report and discussion to provide a comprehensive explanation of past procurement status and future plans, leading to the proposal of a corresponding special budget. (Editor: Su Lung-chi) May 8, 2024
Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu had previously convened four cross-party consultations on the special defense act, but consensus on key articles such as procurement items and budget allocation remained elusive. On May 6th, Han announced that as no consensus had been reached, the matter would proceed according to regulations. With the consultation period exceeding one month, the bill is eligible for discussion in today's legislative session.
The KMT legislative caucus held a meeting this morning, after which caucus whip Fu Kun-chi, secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang, and chief deputy secretary-general Hsu Yu-chen led KMT legislators in a press conference themed "Support Military Purchases, Protect Taiwan, Investigate Corruption, Guard the Treasury."
Regarding the special defense act, Fu Kun-chi stated that the KMT and TPP will formally co-propose a version today to protect Taiwan, ensure taxpayer money is spent wisely, prevent corruption, and strengthen Taiwan-US defense and relations. The KMT caucus will fully support joint military procurements with the US.
Fu explained that for the first wave of US arms sales to Taiwan, totaling US$11.1 billion, the KMT has authorized the Ministry of National Defense to sign the contract with the US. The KMT caucus also strongly supports the second wave of potential arms sales.
Fu further detailed that based on the US offer and the Ministry of National Defense's project report, the first wave of military purchases amounts to US$11.1 billion. US$2 billion has been allocated in the annual budget, and US$9 billion will be included in a special budget. Therefore, the KMT's proposed version sets the upper limit for the first phase at NT$300 billion.
Fu added that the KMT is willing to fully support the second wave of US arms sales to Taiwan, as reported by the Ministry of National Defense to the legislature, which includes Patriot missiles, Hellfire missiles, and related anti-drone air defense systems. The total amount for this second phase is NT$480 billion. The combined total for the first and second phases is NT$780 billion.
Fu emphasized that the KMT caucus supports related military cooperation with the US and that the KMT and TPP will use a resolution to ensure the Ministry of National Defense includes these budgets in the annual budget and reports to the Legislative Yuan each year.
Taiwan People's Party legislative caucus deputy whip Wang An-hsiang stated at a press conference this morning that after four cross-party consultations, preliminary consensus has been reached on the special military purchase act. Article 5 includes items for which official offer and acceptance documents have been received, along with authorization measures. To expedite the process and avoid waiting for the second batch of military purchases to propose a new special act, Article 6 incorporates potential second-wave military purchases into the draft.
Wang noted that regarding the budget, after careful calculation, the first batch of military purchases might be slightly less than NT$320 billion, with the verified amount being NT$300 billion. The second batch is estimated at NT$480 billion, making the total budget scale NT$780 billion.
Wang added that the special act is being proposed now, with a special budget to follow. The TPP supports national defense but also emphasizes its oversight role. After the special act passes, he hopes for a dedicated report and discussion to provide a comprehensive explanation of past procurement status and future plans, leading to the proposal of a corresponding special budget. (Editor: Su Lung-chi) May 8, 2024
FAQ
What is the total budget proposed for the military purchases?
The Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party have jointly proposed a total budget of NT$780 billion for the military purchases.
What does the first phase of military purchases include and what is its budget?
The first phase of military purchases amounts to US$11.1 billion. Of this, US$2 billion is allocated in the annual budget, and US$9 billion will be included in a special budget. The KMT's proposed version sets the upper limit for this phase at NT$300 billion.
What does the second phase of military purchases include and what is its budget?
The second phase of potential arms sales, as reported by the Ministry of National Defense, includes Patriot missiles, Hellfire missiles, and related anti-drone air defense systems. The total budget for this phase is NT$480 billion.
What is the purpose of the special defense act?
The special defense act is intended to facilitate military purchases from the United States, strengthen Taiwan's defense capabilities, and deepen its relationship with the US.