Taiwan warns defence could suffer under opposition's funding laws
By Reuters
TAIPEI, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Taiwan's cabinet warned on Monday the island's security might be at risk after opposition parties passed laws that will require cuts in government spending, including defence, at a time when China has ramped up military activity nearby.
Taiwan's opposition parties, which hold a majority in parliament, last week passed legislation to shift spending from the central government to local municipalities, a move strongly contested by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and thousands of protesters.
The legislation will "seriously weaken the central government's financing," Finance Minister Chuang Tsui-yun said at a media briefing on Monday, adding the government might need to increase debt-financing.
To meet the new funding requirements, the central government will need to cut 28% from a major section of its budget proposal for next year that included T$294.5 billion of the overall defence budget, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics said.
The legislation could "seriously crowd out the defence budget," Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said in a post on Facebook over the weekend, adding Taiwan's combat capacity might be "hit deeply".
"What is in jeopardy are the national security and the safety of the 23 million Taiwanese people."
The cabinet in August proposed a 7.7% year-on-year rise for defence spending to T$647 billion, a record high for Taiwan as the island adds more fighter jets and missiles to strengthen deterrence against a rising threat from Beijing.
China, which views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, has ramped up its military pressure to assert those claims, which Taipei strongly rejects.
The government will resort to "every possible administrative remedy" allowed by the constitution to preserve the budget, cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee told reporters, without elaborating.
She said the cabinet might need to recompile the budget proposal for next year, which is awaiting parliamentary approval.
The DPP lost its parliamentary majority in January elections and is in a stand off with the opposition on several issues.
($1 = 32.6710 Taiwan dollars)
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台北，12月23日（路透社）——台灣內閣週一警告稱，在中國加大附近軍事活動的情況下，反對黨通過的法律將要求削減包括國防在內的政府支出，這可能會使島嶼安全面臨風險。
台灣反對黨在國會中占多數，上週通過了一項立法，將支出從中央政府轉移到地方政府。這一舉措遭到執政的民主進步黨（民進黨）及數千名抗議者的強烈反對。
「這將嚴重削弱中央政府的財政能力，」財政部長莊翠雲週一在新聞發布會上表示，並補充說政府可能需要增加債務融資。
根據主計總處的數據，為滿足新的資金需求，中央政府將需要削減明年預算提案中一個主要部分的28%，該部分包括整體國防預算中的新台幣2945億元。
台灣總統賴清德週末在Facebook上發文稱，這項立法可能會「嚴重擠壓國防預算」，並補充說台灣的戰鬥力可能會「受到重創」。
「處於危險之中的，是國家安全和2300萬台灣人民的安全。」
台灣內閣在8月份提出明年的國防預算同比增長7.7%，達到新台幣6470億元，這創下了台灣的歷史新高。此舉旨在通過增加更多戰鬥機和導彈來加強對北京日益增長威脅的威懾力。
中國視民主治理的台灣為其領土，並加大了軍事壓力以宣示主權，但台北對此強烈拒絕。
內閣發言人李淑芬對記者表示，政府將利用憲法允許的「一切可能的行政補救措施」來維護預算，但未詳細說明。
她補充說，內閣可能需要重新編制明年的預算提案，該提案目前正在等待國會批准。
民進黨在1月份的選舉中失去了國會多數席位，並在多個問題上與反對派陷入僵局。
（1美元=32.6710新台幣）