President: Drones are Crucial for National Defense, Legislature Should Return to Professional Review

(CNA, by reporters Wen Kuei-hsiang, Yeh Su-ping, Kao Hua-chien, Taipei, 20th) The Legislative Yuan passed the special military procurement budget act, with the KMT and TPP parties jointly cutting approximately NT$470 billion from the Executive Yuan's version, including a substantial reduction in drone-related funding. President Lai Ching-te stated today that drone development is crucial for national defense, with its strategic value evident from the Russo-Ukrainian War and conflicts in the Middle East. He said the opposition's deletion of the relevant budget will inevitably impact national security and the autonomous development of the defense industry, expressing his hope that the ruling and opposition parties will return to considering national security and conducting professional reviews. The President made these remarks this morning at the Presidential Office while delivering a speech on his two years in office and taking questions from the media, responding to a query about the potential impact of the large budget cuts to drone programs by the opposition parties. The President said that the development of drones is very important for national defense, as can be seen in both the Russo-Ukrainian War and the wars in the Middle East. The opposition parties' joint deletion of the drone budget is bound to have a serious impact on national defense. Secondly, it will also affect the autonomous development of Taiwan's defense industry, which is a very serious matter for Taiwan. This is why the government must learn from its mistakes and develop the unmanned vehicle industry, and Taiwan has this capability. The President said that Taiwan's industrial foundation is very good, and it has the ability to develop an autonomous defense industry. This serves to both protect our own national security and promote economic development. He pointed out that the KMT's use of excuses like 'green cronies' to cut budgets is not limited to defense and military spending; it's the exact same pattern in the development of the solar energy industry. However, it is now clear that operators in the solar and photovoltaic industries actually have supporters from all parties because they come from Taiwanese society. If we look at the current situation, there are even more problems in the counties and cities governed by the KMT. The President said that when dealing with the drone industry, which is vital for national security and industrial development, we should not use labeling or smear tactics to cut budgets. We should return to the nation's needs, the law, and budget review regulations, and not have preconceived positions, especially by setting preconditions with baseless accusations and excuses to block the review of the drone industry budget.