A significant budget divide has emerged inside the Chinese Nationalist Party. KMT lawmakers will hold a crucial meeting on Tuesday next week. They are debating a special defense budget proposal from the Cabinet. The Cabinet proposed NT$1.25 trillion for weapons systems last November. This funding covers eight US arms packages worth US$11.1 billion. Washington announced these sales in December of last year. The budget also includes domestically manufactured drones and air defense systems. Specifically, the T-Dome system forms a key part of this plan.
Consequently, this budget divide reflects deep disagreements over defense priorities. The KMT proposed its own version of NT$380 billion plus N. The letter N means funds after US acceptance letters arrive. The Taiwan People’s Party set a ceiling of NT$400 billion instead. Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu will lead another negotiation on Wednesday. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen suggested a range of NT$800 billion to NT$1 trillion. Senior KMT member Jaw Shaw-kong supports NT$810 billion as a compromise. However, he wants to freeze NT$460 billion until new US offers appear.
Furthermore, the budget divide has created significant internal friction among KMT legislators. Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin previously proposed a budget of NT$800 billion. Party headquarters insisted on the NT$380 billion plus N formula instead. At a Central Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday, deputy chair Chi Lin-lien spoke. He reiterated support for the smaller budget plan firmly. He even suggested expelling Han from the party over this issue. Local media reported that party officials lobbied lawmakers before a caucus meeting. Nevertheless, opinions remained deeply split during that gathering. Sources say about 20 lawmakers backed the NT$800 billion figure. Only seven supported the party’s NT$380 billion plus N version. Five legislators remained undecided after the discussion ended.
This ongoing budget divide also affects KMT members planning to run for mayor. Most of those candidates could not support the smaller defense proposal. At one point, a lawmaker suggested holding a recorded vote. Party leaders adjourned the meeting without reaching any conclusion. They will discuss the matter again at a later date instead. KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi spoke to reporters after the meeting. “We are committed to the most democratic communication possible,” he said. Once a consensus forms, the party will report to the public quickly.
In response to the budget divide, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen emphasized harmony at home. “Harmony at home brings prosperity to all,” she told reporters yesterday. New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi said defending Taiwan must come first. Without that capability, peace talks become meaningless, he added later. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an supports bolstering defense while calling for open discussion. “The party caucus must fully exchange views and reach a consensus,” he said. For now, the KMT remains divided on this critical issue. Lawmakers will continue negotiations in the coming days ahead. Observers expect further clashes before any final agreement emerges.
