TAIPEI, March 13 — Taiwanese lawmakers have given the government a green light to sign US agreements for four weapons deals, the parliamentary speaker said today, even before a proposal to fund these and other arms has been approved.
The weapons — M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, Javelin anti-armour missiles, TOW 2B missiles and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) — are part of an US$11.1 billion (RM43.6 billion) arms package announced by Washington in December.
President Lai Ching-te’s proposal for a special US$40 billion defence budget, which is intended to pay for some of the arms in the December package, has been stalled in the opposition-controlled parliament.
The Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) have instead submitted their own stripped-down versions of the spending bill. All three bills are currently being reviewed.
Defence Minister Wellington Koo had urged lawmakers to give their approval for the government to sign four US letters of offer and acceptance before they expire this month.
Parliamentary Speaker Han Kuo-yu, who belongs to the KMT, said today the ruling and opposition parties had reached an agreement for the government to proceed in order to “safeguard the country’s strategic interests”.
The parliament “upholds the principle of placing national security first and firmly defending territorial integrity,” Han said.
“After signing, the Executive Yuan (cabinet) shall immediately submit to the Legislative Yuan (parliament) a complete report on the delivery schedule of the relevant weapons,” he said.
Taiwan has spent billions upgrading its defences as China increases military pressure on the self-ruled island, which Beijing claims is part of its territory and has threatened to seize by force.
The island maintains its own defence industry but it would be massively outgunned in a conflict with China, and remains heavily reliant on US arms sales. — AFP
