Taiwan parliament to tackle defence spending review after Lunar New Year holiday

TAIPEI, Feb 16 (Reuters) – Taiwan’s parliament will prioritise the review of a $40 billion special defence budget when it resumes work after the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, its speaker said on Monday following concern about delays from U.S. lawmakers.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te last year proposed the extra defence spending to counter China, which views the island as its own territory. But the opposition, which has a majority in parliament, has refused to review the proposal and instead advanced its own, less expensive proposals, which only fund the purchase of some of the U.S. weapons Lai wants.

Last week, a bipartisan group of 37 U.S. lawmakers wrote to senior Taiwanese politicians expressing concern about parliament stalling the proposed defence spending.

Parliament speaker Han Kuo-yu said in a joint statement with his deputy Johnny Chiang, who are both from the main opposition party the Kuomintang, that they would facilitate cross-party negotiations on the proposal.

The special defence spending and related proposals will be “treated as a top legislative priority” once the new parliament session starts, they added.

“We value the open, candid, and sincere exchanges between the Legislative Yuan and the U.S. Congress and take your views seriously,” they wrote, referring to parliament’s formal name.

“Taiwan will continue to act with seriousness and resolve to make responsible contributions to its own security and to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.”

The government resumes work next Monday after the Lunar New Year holiday is over.

The United States is Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties.

The Trump administration has pressed its allies to increase defence spending, something Lai and his government have enthusiastically embraced.

China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China, but been rebuffed, and says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Susan Fenton)