The special budget of NT$ 240 billion has passed the third reading in the legislature, which will be used to strengthen Taiwan's sea and air combat capabilities. Meanwhile, former Defense Minister Michael Tsai has suggested extending the compulsory military service period to one year, as some believe the island is facing the most severe threat from China in the past 7 decades.
The situation across the Taiwan Strait remains tense. National Chung Hsing University Graduate Institute of International Politics Professor Tsai Tung-chieh says the threat that Taiwan is currently facing is the most severe in the past six to seven decades, and it has to be prepared for the real possibility of war. Although many countries have expressed verbal support, Taiwan still needs to be well prepared. Meanwhile, former National Defense Minister Michael Tsai suggested extending the compulsory military service period from four months to one year.
Michael Tsai, Former National Defense Minister: “Four months of military training is a kind of burden for the Ministry of National Defense. Frankly speaking, these young conscripts won't become qualified riflemen with four months of training.”
The legislature is currently reviewing a Ministry of National Defense special procurement draft bill worth NT$240 billion to strengthen sea and air combat capabilities. The bulk of the money will go towards buying missile systems, high-performance warships, and anti-aircraft defense systems. This is the fourth such special budget in the five years Tsai Ing-wen has been in office and will increase the debt to NT$2 trillion. Kuomintang legislators say this time the focus is on procurement from the domestic national defense industry. National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology has become an independent administrative institution, and the Government Procurement Act is no longer applicable and the procurement will lead to serious follow-up supervisory issues.
Chen I-hsin, Legislator (KMT): “The draft bill isn't for the purchase of American arms. Instead, it focuses on procurement from the domestic national defense industry. That's why there will be serious follow-up supervisory issues.”
Ker Chien-ming, Legislator (DPP): “The Kuomintang wants to move heaven and earth to move military purchases to special regulations and move special regulations into the overall central government budget. This movement of heaven and earth is completely unconstitutional.”
As the legislature was debating this issue, Reuters reported that the US Navy's Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Milius conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit through international waters in accordance with international law on Nov. 23. The US Navy said the ship's transit through the strait demonstrates the US' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. China has not yet commented on this issue.
台海情勢持續緊繃，中興大學國際政治研究所教授蔡東杰直言，現在台灣所面臨的威脅，是近6、70年來最嚴重的狀態，也就是要真的面對可能發生戰爭的風險，縱使有多個國家口頭聲援，台灣仍舊要做好準備。前國防部長蔡明憲就建議，役期應該從4個月延長到1年。
前國防部長蔡明憲表示:「因為4個月的軍事訓練役，對國防部是一種負擔，對4個月訓練的這些年輕人役男，老實講也不能做一個合格的步槍兵。」
立院審查攸關2400億的海空戰力提升計畫採購特別條例草案，主要將採購飛彈系統、高效能艦艇以及防空系統等，也是蔡政府5年來第四次編列特別預算，將讓舉債達到2兆。國民黨立委陳以信表示，這次以國防自主產業的對內採購為主，加上中科院已轉型行政法人，不適用《政府採購法》，會產生嚴重的後續監督問題。
國民黨立委陳以信表示:「草案並不是對美軍購，而是以國防自主產業的對內採購為主，所以會產生嚴重的後續監督問題。」
民進黨團總召柯建銘則說:「國民黨乾坤大挪移，把軍購移到特別條例，把特別條例移到中央政府總預算，這樣的乾坤大挪移是徹底違憲。」
當立法院會正在為預算案正反意見激辯，《路透社》報導，美國海軍伯克級驅逐艦米利厄斯號23日通過台灣海峽，依據國際法在台灣海峽例行過境，展現美國對自由開放印太地區的承諾，而中國方面目前尚未對此事做出回應。