Taiwan starts review of defence bill as competing proposals expose divisions

Taiwan’s legislature has agreed to begin reviewing a long-stalled special defence budget, but competing opposition proposals are set to complicate passage of the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) plan despite mounting pressure from the United States.Lawmakers began scrutinising the bill on Friday, as three rival proposals from the island’s main political parties exposed deep divisions over how much Taiwan should spend on defence and what mix of foreign weapons and home-grown capabilities it should prioritise.The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government has proposed an eight-year programme from 2026 to 2033, worth NT$1.25 trillion, aimed at accelerating Taiwan’s shift towards asymmetric warfare as military pressure from Beijing intensifies.The plan combines large-scale purchases from the United States with expanded indigenous defence programmes intended to strengthen the island’s ability to withstand a prolonged conflict.Among the US systems included are 82 Himars rocket launchers with more than 1,200 rockets and 420 tactical missiles, 60 M109A7 Paladin self-propelled howitzers and 1,057 Javelin and 1,545 Tow-2B anti-tank missiles.The package – estimated to be worth NT$350 billion – also includes 1,554 Altius-700M loitering munitions and 478 air-launched Altius-600 ISR drones designed to improve battlefield reconnaissance and precision strike capabilities.Beyond US purchases, the government plan allocates significant funding for indigenous programmes, including the production of roughly 200,000 reconnaissance and attack drones and more than 1,000 uncrewed surface vessels for coastal defence.