Why is Taiwan’s KMT calling for the government to spend billions more on drones?

After rejecting a government spending package, Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT) has submitted its own proposal worth several billion dollars more to boost the military’s unmanned vehicle capabilities and the island’s broader drone sector.

The move reflects growing consensus across Taiwan’s political spectrum that unmanned systems will be central to the island’s defence in the future.

Defending its decision to reject the government’s proposal for the sector, KMT officials on Monday said the party disagreed with the cabinet over how the programme should be funded, managed and integrated with broader industrial policy.

The party’s lawmakers said their budget – which was submitted to the legislature on Monday – would allocate up to NT$240 billion (US$7.5 billion) over six years through the regular annual budget, compared with the cabinet’s proposal for a NT$210 billion special budget unveiled on Friday.

The KMT has long opposed funding defence programmes through special budgets, which are subject to less legislative scrutiny and avoid spending caps.

Unlike the government’s bill, which specifies procurement targets for various drone types, the KMT version would leave procurement decisions up to the defence ministry while requiring lawmakers to be notified of any individual drone purchase exceeding NT$100 million.

South China Morning Post