DEFENCE & ARMS PURCHASE BUDGET WON'T TOP 2.85% OF GDP: OFFICIAL
Central News Agency
2005-07-13 21:56:42
Taipei, July 13 (CNA) The country's regular defence budget plus a special budget for purchasing a package of sophisticated U.S. weapons accounts for 2.85 percent of the gross national product (GDP), lower than that of most other countries, a Ministry of National Defence official said Wednesday.
The official, who requested anonymity, said the regular defence budget takes only a 2.54 percent share of the GDP.
The special budget, totalling NT$480 billion (US$15 billion) over 15 years, would buy eight submarines, six anti-missile batteries and 12 anti-submarine aircraft.
The official said the total defence budget takes a "reasonable share" of national resources and would not be too heavy a burden for government finance.
He warned that if the Legislative Yuan continues to block the passage of the government's special budget bill for buying the U.S. weapons, the country may lose a chance to upgrade its defence capability and even tip the military balance across the Taiwan Strait and bring risks to national security and regional peace.
He was commenting on former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state Randall Shriver's remarks that if the passage of the bill keeps being delayed, it could impact the U.S. Pacific Command's ability to intervene in a Taiwan Strait crisis as well as the "political climate" in the U.S. Congress.
The official said Shriver was but one of many professionals and academics who have issued similar warnings. He called on the Legislative Yuan to have "reasonable discussions" with defence officials on the special budget bill and pass it as soon as possible so that the process can be started to acquire the much-needed new arms.
(By S.C. Chang)
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