TAIPEI (TVBS News) —President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) investment of NT$1.25 trillion in defense spending from 2026 to 2033 prompted both the Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) to propose that President Lai deliver a national intelligence report to the Legislative Yuan (立法院) on Friday (Dec. 12), allowing lawmakers to question him about the defense budget and U.S. arms purchases.
The Executive Yuan (行政院) introduced a draft special act on procurement for enhancing defense, resilience, and asymmetric capabilities, amounting to NT$1.25 trillion over the next 8 years. However, KMT and TPP legislators twice blocked it in the Legislative Yuan's Procedure Committee (審查委員會). Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) directed that the KMT and TPP proposals proceed to a second reading without a vote, indicating a consensus among the parties.
The KMT proposal highlighted that President Lai's military procurement budget, totaling NT$1.25 trillion, could lead to maintenance costs reaching NT$4.5 trillion, significantly impacting Taiwan's livelihood and economic development. TPP emphasized that the 2026 defense budget already allocates NT$949.5 billion, and the additional U.S. weapons procurement budget would push defense spending to 5% of GDP, causing a substantial shift in national finances.
KMT legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) insisted that President Lai should answer legislators' questions during the intelligence report, suggesting a format open to discussion but not limited to a one-sided presidential address. Meanwhile, TPP lawmaker Chen Gau-tzu (陳昭姿) urged the government to fulfill its campaign promises by having President Lai report to the Legislative Yuan before the special defense budget review.
However, DPP legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) criticized the KMT and TPP proposals as politically calculated, arguing that if they believe the defense budget diverts resources, the special act should undergo committee review to gather more information.
