Taiwan KMT questions drone funding after Qiang-gung missile moves to annual budget

The Kuomintang (KMT) has criticized the Ministry of National Defense regarding a shift in funding for the Qiang-gung missile mass production project. According to the latest defense budget documents, the project, which was originally planned to be included in the special defense budget, has been moved to the annual budget. The project involves approximately 36 billion TWD to be executed over six years.

KMT Culture and Communications Committee Chairman Chen Yi-hsin argued that this move contradicts previous government claims that major defense construction requires a special budget to avoid crowding out education and social welfare spending. Chen questioned why the Qiang-gung missile can be funded through the annual budget while the proposed 240 billion TWD drone program is still being pushed for special budget status.

Chen urged Premier Cho Jung-tai to stop using excuses and to promptly co-sign the drone regulations, suggesting that the government's insistence on using special budgets for drones instead of annual budgets could negatively impact fiscal discipline.