The Cabinet in November last year proposed a special budget of NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.46 billion) to fund domestic weapons systems and US arms packages that have been approved for sale or could be approved. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo, left, speaks as Premier Cho Jung-tai looks on at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Opposition parties, who have been pressured by the Cabinet and the US government to pass the budget, submitted separate proposals. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said the KMT’s version does not include the “NT$380 billion plus N” concept. Any increase in funds would require a separate special law, meaning the maximum is NT$380 billion and “plus N” does not exist, he said.
