Taiwan's opposition-majority Legislative Yuan has once again blocked the 1.25 trillion New Taiwan Dollar (NTD) (160.767 billion Ringgit Malaysia) special defense investment budget. Since December last year, this is the sixth time this bill has been rejected by the legislature.
According to Taiwan’s Economic Daily News and other media, on the 9th, the Legislative Yuan voted to block the referral of the “Ordinance for the Procurement Plan to Strengthen Defensive Resilience and Asymmetric Combat Capabilities” to the committee for review. Since December 2 last year, the legislature, where Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) hold the majority, has blocked the ordinance for the sixth time.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te stated last November that as Mainland China pushes for possible unification by force in 2027, two contingency plans have been developed, including increasing defense investment by earmarking 1.25 trillion NTD over the next eight years to build an advanced defensive combat system.
Last November, the Executive Yuan passed the relevant bill and submitted it for legislative review. The opposition immediately blocked it for the first time on December 2 at the Procedures Committee, preventing it from being scheduled on the legislative agenda.