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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ChatGPT 翻译：
台北，12月23日（路透社）——台湾内阁周一警告称，在中国加大附近军事活动的情况下，反对党通过的法律将要求削减包括国防在内的政府支出，这可能会使岛屿安全面临风险。
台湾反对党在国会中占多数，上周通过了一项立法，将支出从中央政府转移到地方政府。这一举措遭到执政的民主进步党（民进党）及数千名抗议者的强烈反对。
“这将严重削弱中央政府的财政能力，”财政部长庄翠云周一在新闻发布会上表示，并补充说政府可能需要增加债务融资。
根据主计总处的数据，为满足新的资金需求，中央政府将需要削减明年预算提案中一个主要部分的28%，该部分包括整体国防预算中的新台币2945亿元。
台湾总统赖清德周末在Facebook上发文称，这项立法可能会“严重挤压国防预算”，并补充说台湾的战斗力可能会“受到重创”。
“处于危险之中的，是国家安全和2300万台湾人民的安全。”
台湾内阁在8月份提出明年的国防预算同比增长7.7%，达到新台币6470亿元，这创下了台湾的历史新高。此举旨在通过增加更多战斗机和导弹来加强对北京日益增长威胁的威慑力。
中国视民主治理的台湾为其领土，并加大了军事压力以宣示主权，但台北对此强烈拒绝。
内阁发言人李淑芬对记者表示，政府将利用宪法允许的“一切可能的行政补救措施”来维护预算，但未详细说明。
她补充说，内阁可能需要重新编制明年的预算提案，该提案目前正在等待国会批准。
民进党在1月份的选举中失去了国会多数席位，并在多个问题上与反对派陷入僵局。
（1美元=32.6710新台币）