TAIPEI (TVBS News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) urged legislators Friday (April 17) to pass a NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.6 billion) defense budget without delay during an inspection of Army training facilities in Kaohsiung — days after the head of the main opposition party returned from meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing and called for cross-party dialogue.
"This is why the government must firmly push forward the special defense budget and all defense construction projects," Lai said during remarks at the Army Infantry Training Command (陸軍步兵訓練指揮部) at Jintang Camp (金湯營區) in southern Taiwan. "We insist on no compromises. We insist it should be passed as quickly as possible."
The president's appeal comes as the proposed special defense act awaits action in the Legislative Yuan (立法院), Taiwan's parliament. Lai has said the legislation requires swift passage to implement the eight-year spending plan, though the current status of committee deliberations could not be confirmed. The budget would fund what the government calls the "Taiwan Dome" (臺灣之盾) initiative, artificial intelligence integration and indigenous defense industry development.
Lai visited the Army Infantry Training Command and the ROC Air Force Flight Training Command (空軍飛行訓練指揮部) earlier that day, accompanied by National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄). The president toured simulation training facilities, observed wheeled armored vehicle drills and reviewed machine gun training materials compiled by the Army. He presented bonus funds to service members and dined with 176 military personnel.
Lai said the defense buildup sends a message to the international community. "Taiwan has the determination, capability and willingness to defend itself, protect peace and safeguard sovereignty," he said. "Only through continued preparation can we deter threats. Through preparing for war, we avoid war. Through being capable of war, we stop war — thereby achieving true peace."
A survey conducted in March by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (國防安全研究院), a government-affiliated think tank, found 62 percent of respondents supported the special defense budget. Support was highest among Democratic Progressive Party voters at 92 percent and lowest among Kuomintang supporters at 33 percent.
Lai called on ruling and opposition parties to unite on defense, saying political parties may compete but should stand together on matters of national security, sovereignty and survival. The call for unity comes days after Kuomintang Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) returned from China, where she met with Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping.
Cheng on Wednesday called for dialogue between the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and opposition parties, though she addressed constitutional deadlock rather than the defense budget specifically. "If the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party can sit down and talk, why can't the DPP and opposition parties sit down and communicate face to face?" Cheng said at the opposition party's headquarters. She called on Lai to set aside personal differences for the sake of the nation.
Whether the legislature will approve the budget remains unclear. The KMT has not stated its latest position on the spending proposal, even as its chairwoman extends olive branches to both Beijing and Taipei. For now, Lai offered military personnel a simple assurance: "As long as the military is here, Taiwan's security is here." The question is whether legislators will provide the funds to keep it there. ◼ (At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$31.54)