The Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, along with the Finance Committee, reviewed competing special defense budget bills proposed by the Executive Yuan, the Kuomintang (KMT) caucus, and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) caucus over two days of deliberations beginning March 26.
Key provisions — including procurement item names and total budget figures — failed to reach consensus and were referred to inter-party negotiations. Critically, the payment deadline for a letter of offer and acceptance covering the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fell on March 27.
On the arms procurement debate, former U.S. Department of Defense official Tony Hu (胡振東) told host Catherine Lu (路怡珍) on 風傳媒's program Fly to The World that appeasement has never worked in history, directing the message squarely at Taiwan's opposition parties.
Hu urged opposition lawmakers to recognize that Taiwan must maintain its capacity for self-defense as long as the threat from the Chinese Communist Party has not diminished. "If you want peace, you achieve it through strength," he said. He added that if Chinese President Xi Jinping were to leave power and China chose peaceful coexistence, Taiwan would not need to purchase as many weapons.
However, Hu noted that Xi has continued to expand thePeople's Liberation Army (PLA) capacity to attack Taiwan while working to prevent Taiwan's allies from being able to come to its aid. Under these circumstances, he argued, Taiwan must both strengthen its defensive capabilities and expand domestic weapons production. Hu also said he was surprised by the opposition's stance, noting that most public polls still show majority support for a stronger national defense.
Hu argued that the KMT's proposed "Special Act for Strengthening National Defense and U.S. Military Procurement" — budgeted at NT$380 billion (approximately USD 11.7 billion) plus an open-ended variable component — is simply unworkable and would ultimately harm Taiwan. "We are all on the same boat," he said. "Whether it floats or sinks, we go together. If the PRC attacks, do you think their missiles will avoid KMT members? Of course not — everyone gets hurt."
A note on the KMT bill's structure — "NT$380 billion + N":
NT$380 billion (approx. USD 11.7 billion): A fixed budget allocation, primarily covering eight designated Foreign Military Sale cases with the United States.
N: A flexible, open-ended component designed to accommodate potential future military procurement needs.
Hu further contended that even if Taiwan were to pursue negotiations with Beijing, it would need to negotiate from a position of strength. He invoked the historical precedent of appeasement before World War II: Britain and France accommodated Hitler, allowing him to seize Czechoslovakia and Poland on the assumption he would not turn on them — yet he ultimately attacked both nations anyway. In Hu's assessment, a policy of appeasement has never succeeded throughout history, and Taiwan should not expect a different outcome.
