President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) responded positively to a KMT caucus request for a State of the Nation address regarding his recent NT$1.25 trillion (nearly US$40 billion) special defense budget announcement on November 26. During a November 29 interview at a youth forum hosted by Business Today Magazine in Taipei, he emphasized his willingness to report to the people and to seek the support of the Legislature.

KMT Legislator Jonathan Lin (林沛祥) stated that the massive special defense budget should have been formally discussed with the Legislature through official channels, namely the Presidential Office and the Cabinet. However, the public only learned of this through foreign media and newspapers, raising concerns over governmental transparency.

Lin additionally pointed out that the President’s statement that “the Beijing authorities have set the goal of completing military preparations to attempt unification with Taiwan by force by 2027” during the same press conference needs clarification. He said that, should Lai deliver an address, it should not only detail the defense budget, but also the source of the intelligence regarding Beijing. Lin added that the issue of NT$900 billion (US$28.7 billion) in undelivered U.S. weapons also requires explaining.

DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) stated that national defense decisions are within the constitutional powers of the president and are the most important and urgent issues for the country at this stage. She expressed her belief that the president would be willing to deliver the report to Congress within the bounds of a constitutional procedure, and that she hopes the opposition will not use the address request as a pretext for political manipulation.