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Staff writer, with CNA
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An alternative to the Executive Yuan’s special defense budget should prioritize drones over submarines and range from NT$800 billion to NT$1 trillion (US$25 billion to US$31.25 billion), Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said yesterday.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a Taichung City Council meeting, Lu said her proposal differs from the Cabinet’s NT$1.25 trillion proposal, which includes the purchase of eight submarines and 200,000 drones.
Her version would scale back submarine procurement, while increasing investment in drones, she said.
Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, center, speaks to reporters in Taichung yesterday.
Photo: CNA
Lu, who is widely seen as a potential contender in the 2028 presidential race, also compared her proposal with her party’s NT$380 billion proposal, although she said the figures are not directly comparable as additional funding could be adjusted through negotiations between the Cabinet and the legislature.
Taiwan should maintain balanced relations with China and the US, she said, adding that excessive opposition to either side is unnecessary to ensure peace and security.
She emphasized that her views are personal and based on her experience serving on the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.
Lu served on the committee for 13 legislative sessions during her tenure as a lawmaker from 1999 to 2018.
However, KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) said there had been no communication between Lu and the KMT caucus.
Cheng said they discussed many issues, including the defense bill, before Lu set off on an 11-day trip to the US earlier this month.
She thanked Lu for clearly relaying the position of the KMT during the trip.
