• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

TSU BACKS UPWARD ADJUSTMENT OF DEFENSE BUDGET

Central News Agency

2005-07-08 19:28:18

    Taipei, July 8 (CNA) The legislative caucus of the opposition Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) announced its support Thursday for a proposed upward adjustment of Taiwan's defense budget to account for 3 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

    Ho Min-hao, convener of the TSU legislative caucus, made the announcement in response to a media report that the United States has proposed that Taiwan raise its defense budget to 3 percent of its GDP so that the country can use its annual budget to carry out the planned procurement of diesel-electric submarines, Patriot PAC-III anti-missile systems and 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft.

    Noting that the TSU legislative caucus is in favor of the proposal, Ho said that should the country's defense budget be adjusted, it would not only help the ruling and opposition parties break their deadlock on the arms procurement package but would also demonstrate Taiwan's determination to upgrade its self-defense capabilities.

    Currently, Taiwan's defense budget accounts for 2.4 percent of its GDP, in comparison with the 8 percent of Israel and the 4 percent-5 percent of Japan, the United States and the European Union, Ho pointed out. It is quite illogical that Taiwan's military spending is lower than those of some foreign countries while it faces serious military intimidation from China.

    Ho called on the government to consider raising the defense budget, saying that this would also meet the opposition "pan-blue alliance" demand that military procurement funds should be included in the central government's annual budget plan.

(By Luis Huang)

ENDITEM/J