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Bill for arms procurements clears Legislature

ROC Central News Agency

11/23/2021 03:38 PM

Taipei, Nov. 23 (CNA) A bill authorizing the government to draft a special budget of up to NT$240 billion (US$8.63 billion) for arms procurements over the next five years was passed by the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday.

The newly passed law allows the government to use a special budget -- which is not subject to the spending constraints of the normal budgeting process -- to acquire mostly indigenous defense arms to upgrade Taiwan's anti-air and anti-surface capabilities.

Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), a convener of the Legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, said the Executive Yuan will soon write a special budget based on the new law and submit it for review to lawmakers.

Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) will then attend a hearing held by the Legislative Yuan to elaborate on the special budget and answer questions about it, Chao said.

Under the new law, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) will be required to submit a written report to the Legislature every May during the five-year period on progress made in the previous year and the spending plan for the following year.

Eight types of weapon systems can be purchased under the special budget: shore-based anti-ship missiles, field and ground-based air defense systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, air-to-ground and surface-to-surface cruise missile systems, high-performance submarines, and weapon systems for the country's Coast Guard.

The production of the Taiwan-made Tien Kung (Sky Bow), Tien Chien (Sky Sword), and Hsiung Feng (Brave Wind) series of missiles will be supported by the budget, according to MND.

When the Cabinet proposed the bill in September, Su described the bill as part of the effort to safeguard Taiwan's national sovereignty and security as China continues to engage in military exercises near Taiwan.

(By Wang Yang-yu, Evelyn Kao and Frances Huang)

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