Defense Special Act Passes Third Reading; President: Increased Review Hurdles May Delay HIMARS Procurement
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te expressed concern that the Legislative Yuan's third reading passage of the special defense procurement act, with a reduced budget and added review hurdles, could delay the acquisition of HIMARS missile systems. He urged cross-party cooperation, emphasizing that national security allows no compromises.
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- 📰 Published: May 9, 2026 at 16:28
- 🔍 Collected: May 9, 2026 at 16:31 (3 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 9, 2026 at 17:08 (36 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Wen Kui-hsiang, Taipei, 9th) President Lai Ching-te stated today that the Legislative Yuan's third reading passage of the special act for defense procurement, while a difficult first step, did not provide a complete answer. He expressed concern that the budget ceiling was reduced from the original plan of NT$1.25 trillion to NT$780 billion, and additional budget review hurdles were added, which might cause delays in the payment for HIMARS military purchases.
President Lai made the above remarks during an interview on his visit to Tainan today, when asked about the Legislative Yuan's third reading passage of the "Special Act for Safeguarding National Security and Strengthening Asymmetric Combat Capabilities Plan Procurement," with a total budget ceiling of NT$780 billion.
The President stated that although the Legislative Yuan's third reading passage of the special military procurement act yesterday was a difficult first step, it did not provide a complete answer. The reason is that the military procurement amount was reduced from NT$1.25 trillion to NT$780 billion. NT$780 billion is not even enough to purchase weapons from the United States, let alone commercial purchases and commissioned projects to promote Taiwan's defense industry, which are not included in this passed special act.
He pointed out that this will have a significant impact on Taiwan's overall defense in the future, because the various defense budget items totaling NT$1.25 trillion are fundamentally interconnected and indispensable. Some involve direct military procurement from the US government, some require commercial purchases from innovative companies, and some require cross-national defense technology industry cooperation.
The President said that unlike in the past, after the special act is passed, the Executive Yuan can now only prepare the budget after making another report and obtaining approval. If the Legislative Yuan does not agree, the budget still cannot be prepared.
The President pointed out that, in other words, this adds another hurdle, which may ultimately be seen but not used. This is not a normal budget review process. He sincerely hopes that all political parties in the Legislative Yuan can reconsider, based on national security, social stability, and the development of Taiwan's industry, and pass it as soon as possible.
He emphasized that one item in this defense military procurement is the HIMARS missile system, for which payment is due on May 31. According to this unusual review process by the Legislative Yuan, it might be too late. This is because the Executive Yuan must report to the Legislative Yuan within one month and obtain its approval before the budget can be prepared. Whether the budget can be prepared and whether it can pass the Legislative Yuan after submission is still unknown. He is concerned that May 31 might be too late, and the impact would be very significant.
The President hopes that competition among parties is inevitable, but there is only one nation, and national security allows no compromises. He hopes that all political parties can continue to work hard. (Edited by Lin Ke-lun) 1150509
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(Central News Agency reporter Wen Kui-hsiang, Taipei, 9th) President Lai Ching-te stated today that the Legislative Yuan's third reading passage of the special act for defense procurement, while a difficult first step, did not provide a complete answer. He expressed concern that the budget ceiling was reduced from the original plan of NT$1.25 trillion to NT$780 billion, and additional budget review hurdles were added, which might cause delays in the payment for HIMARS military purchases.
President Lai made the above remarks during an interview on his visit to Tainan today, when asked about the Legislative Yuan's third reading passage of the "Special Act for Safeguarding National Security and Strengthening Asymmetric Combat Capabilities Plan Procurement," with a total budget ceiling of NT$780 billion.
The President stated that although the Legislative Yuan's third reading passage of the special military procurement act yesterday was a difficult first step, it did not provide a complete answer. The reason is that the military procurement amount was reduced from NT$1.25 trillion to NT$780 billion. NT$780 billion is not even enough to purchase weapons from the United States, let alone commercial purchases and commissioned projects to promote Taiwan's defense industry, which are not included in this passed special act.
He pointed out that this will have a significant impact on Taiwan's overall defense in the future, because the various defense budget items totaling NT$1.25 trillion are fundamentally interconnected and indispensable. Some involve direct military procurement from the US government, some require commercial purchases from innovative companies, and some require cross-national defense technology industry cooperation.
The President said that unlike in the past, after the special act is passed, the Executive Yuan can now only prepare the budget after making another report and obtaining approval. If the Legislative Yuan does not agree, the budget still cannot be prepared.
The President pointed out that, in other words, this adds another hurdle, which may ultimately be seen but not used. This is not a normal budget review process. He sincerely hopes that all political parties in the Legislative Yuan can reconsider, based on national security, social stability, and the development of Taiwan's industry, and pass it as soon as possible.
He emphasized that one item in this defense military procurement is the HIMARS missile system, for which payment is due on May 31. According to this unusual review process by the Legislative Yuan, it might be too late. This is because the Executive Yuan must report to the Legislative Yuan within one month and obtain its approval before the budget can be prepared. Whether the budget can be prepared and whether it can pass the Legislative Yuan after submission is still unknown. He is concerned that May 31 might be too late, and the impact would be very significant.
The President hopes that competition among parties is inevitable, but there is only one nation, and national security allows no compromises. He hopes that all political parties can continue to work hard. (Edited by Lin Ke-lun) 1150509
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The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.