TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Legislative Yuan (立法院), the island's parliament, convened a confidential meeting on Monday (Jan. 19) to discuss a NT$1.25 trillion (around US$39.7 billion) military procurement special bill. The Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee invited Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) to provide a classified briefing, aiming to expedite the committee's review process. The special budget represents Taiwan's most significant military procurement initiative in recent years.
The Executive Yuan (行政院), Taiwan's cabinet, approved the draft "Special Budget for Enhancing Defense Resilience and Asymmetric Capabilities" (強化防衛韌性及不對稱戰力計畫採購特別條例) on Nov. 27, 2025. The Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨), Taiwan's main opposition party, and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) have blocked the bill's progress in the legislature. Minister Koo arranged a confidential briefing with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨), the ruling party, and its committee chair, Wang Ting-yu (王定宇), noting that procurement details with the U.S. would remain undisclosed until Congress is notified.
The KMT plans to initiate a legislative amendment procedure and may propose its own version of the bill. Koo believes such action is unnecessary, suggesting discussions and amendments should occur within the existing framework. He emphasized the importance of respecting the Legislative Yuan before the bill's passage, stating the defense ministry will arrange military procurements, commercial purchases, or manufacturing commissions based on the budget approved by parliament.
Regarding recent incidents of Chinese infiltration into the military, Koo expressed distress but highlighted that 90 percent of the cases were reported by military personnel or through counterintelligence investigations. The minister said this indicates the success of counterintelligence education within Taiwan's armed forces. The defense ministry plans to continue refining these security measures to prevent future infiltration attempts. ◼