Hundreds rally in Taipei for defence spending after parliament cuts funds
The Taipei protest was organised by several human rights and pro-independence groups, who waved flags and shouted slogans in support of defence spending.
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
TAIPEI: Hundreds of people rallied in central Taipei on Saturday (May 23) in support of government plans to increase defence spending, after the opposition controlled parliament approved only two-thirds of the US$40 billion Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te had requested.
Lai wanted the supplementary defence budget approved, including money for US arms but also for domestically made equipment such as drones to increase deterrence against China, which views the island as its own territory.
But the opposition, which has the most seats in parliament, this month passed its own version of the spending package, and only for US arms, saying the government proposals were unclear and could lead to corruption.
The Taipei protest was organised by several human rights and pro-independence groups, who waved flags and shouted slogans in support of defence spending.
CNA Games
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less
"True peace requires national defence. Only by strengthening our national defence can we ensure Taiwan's freedom," Wang Hsing-huan, chairman of the small Taiwan Statebuilding Party, which has no lawmakers in parliament, told the crowd.
The government is now trying to get the rest of the money approved, including for its new "T-Dome" integrated air defence system.
"We need to protect ourselves against China's expansion," said civil engineer Angela Yen, 34. "China and Taiwan are two different countries."
Both Taiwan's main opposition parties say they support defence spending but will not sign "blank cheques".
Speaking in southern Taiwan earlier on Saturday, Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the largest opposition party the Kuomintang, said nobody wanted to see war break out with China.
Taiwan is not without money, but must not spend recklessly, her party quoted her as saying.
Taiwan should invest in peace, not war, and not send the next generation to serve as soldiers and fight, added Cheng, who last month met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future.
Newsletter
Week in Review
Subscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in Review
Our chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.
Newsletter
Morning Brief
Subscribe to CNA’s Morning Brief
An automated curation of our top stories to start your day.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app