Taiwan Premier countersigns Unmanned Vehicle Industry Development Act

Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai has countersigned the ‘Act for Strengthening Defense Autonomy and Unmanned Vehicle Industry Development’ following its third reading by the Legislative Yuan. Executive Yuan Secretary-General Chang Chun-han noted that while the version passed by the legislature differs from the original draft proposed by the Executive Yuan, the government decided to proceed because “national defense security cannot wait, and industry upgrading cannot wait.”

The Executive Yuan outlined two primary principles it will uphold during the implementation of the law. First, the administration will maintain its constitutional budget authority, ensuring that funds are allocated based on actual defense needs and industry requirements rather than fixed caps. Second, the government will ensure the strictest protection of national secrets, ensuring that matters involving military deployment and supply chain security remain under the professional purview of the Ministry of National Defense.

The government aims to use defense requirements to create a stable market for unmanned aerial and maritime vehicles, encouraging domestic investment and research to build a reliable “non-red supply chain.” Additionally, the Executive Yuan has requested the legislature to expedite the review of the current year’s supplementary budget, which includes 55.9 billion TWD allocated for unmanned vehicle projects.