Debates on special defense bills falter againON TRACK: The defense minister said the next US arms sales package was proceeding as expected, with the government receiving a letter of guarantee from WashingtonBy Huang Ching-hsuan, Fion Khan and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writers and ReutersLegislative committee members yesterday failed to reach a consensus on most articles of the three versions of the special defense budget bill. Over the past two days, a joint session of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee and Finance Committee conducted article-by-article deliberations on the three versions. Legislators attend a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense and Finance committees to discuss versions of the special defense budget at the legislature in Taipei yesterday. “We will continue to make efforts,” Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) told reporters after the session. Regarding proposed auditing mechanisms, Koo agreed to the KMT caucus’ proposal that the Ministry of National Defense submit a special report to the Legislative Yuan each session detailing the execution progress and performance of the special budget.

Source: Taipei Times March 26, 2026 17:13 UTC