China wants to block drone bill: source
‘UNITED FRONT’ TACTICS: Beijing is pressuring Taiwanese politicians to block the Executive Yuan’s proposed special act to fund military uncrewed vehicles, a source said
By Tzou Jiing-wen and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA
The Legislative Yuan is slated to hold cross-caucus negotiations on 14 versions of a draft uncrewed vehicle act on Thursday, amid rumors that Beijing is pressuring some Taiwanese politicians to block passage of a special bill proposed by the Ministry of National Defense to procure military drones and uncrewed vessels.
A source in Beijing said the Chinese Communist Party has been using its United Front Work Department and Taiwan Affairs Office to pressure Taiwanese politicians who are friendly toward Beijing, pushing them to block the Executive Yuan’s proposed special act to fund military uncrewed vehicles.
The proposed legislation would allocate up to NT$210 billion (US$6.55 billion) from August next year through December 2031 to procure coastal surveillance and reconnaissance drones, coastal attack drones and small uncrewed surface vessels designed for attack missions.
A surveillance and reconnaissance drone is launched from an M109 assault boat during the annual Han Kuang military exercises in Kaohsiung on Aug. 8.
Photo: CNA
The source said staff units of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have conducted several wargame simulations of Taiwan’s plans to build up its drone forces in coordination with the US.
Beijing reportedly believes the deployment could significantly undermine the PLA’s strategic advantage in the Taiwan Strait and weaken its strategic deterrence against Japan and the Philippines. The PLA has recommended to the Chinese Central Military Commission that Taiwan’s drone buildup be blocked.
Beijing could accept a version of the legislation focused on “demilitarization,” but wants the budget to be subject to annual, item-by-item review and approval, the source said.
They said blocking the Executive Yuan’s special budget could also pressure the administration of President William Lai (賴清德) to find alternative ways to complete its planned military buildup, giving the Chinese military more time to develop countermeasures.
The Legislative Yuan’s Economics, Foreign Affairs and National Defense, and Finance committees on July 27 jointly reviewed the 14 versions of the legislation. After nearly six hours of discussion, lawmakers failed to reach agreement on the bill, including its responsible authority, spending cap and implementation period. The bills passed the committee stage, but must undergo cross-party negotiations before being considered by the full legislature.
The Legislative Yuan on Friday approved NT$63.4 billion in uncrewed vehicle spending, including a six-year NT$44.2 billion industrial development program proposed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and NT$19.2 billion in drone procurement budgets proposed by government agencies.
Executive Yuan Secretary-General Xavier Chang (張惇涵) on Saturday said the opposition should support the administration’s special act if it supports the armed forces.
He said opposition lawmakers previously blocked drone-related spending, adding that the upcoming negotiations would show whether they truly support the country’s drone development and national defense.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus deputy secretary-general Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄) yesterday said the opposition had supported the NT$63.4 billion in related spending.
Hsu said the KMT’s proposed legislation would invest NT$240 billion over six years in the uncrewed vehicle industry, more than the NT$210 billion proposed by the Executive Yuan.
The KMT favors funding the program through annual budgets rather than a special budget, Hsu said, adding that this would allow the legislature to review procurement results, industrial policy and progress toward domestic production each year.
She said the KMT supports drone development and greater defense autonomy, but wants greater scrutiny of how the money is spent, what equipment is purchased, who produces it, how much is manufactured domestically and whether the equipment meets the military’s operational needs.
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