The Legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday invited Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) to deliver a classified report and field questions on the NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.6 billion) draft special act on procurement aimed at enhancing the nation's defense resilience and asymmetric capabilities. Amidst public interest beyond the US$11.1 billion arms purchase disclosed on 17 December last year, Koo told reporters that details could not be released until the U.S. completes congressional notification, prompting today’s classified briefing to lawmakers. 

Koo explained that past special ordinances typically required reports only after committee review, but that delays in submission necessitated this confidential briefing. He said proportions for arms purchases, commercial buys, and commissioned production await legislative budget approval. 

Rumors circulated that the KMT would propose its own ordinance version. Koo stressed that his ministry’s draft aligns with current threats and operational needs, urging discussion on it. He said, “We still hope that if the ruling and opposition parties have any opinions, they can be discussed within our version of the ordinance. If revisions are needed, they can be made within this ordinance as well, and there should be no need to propose their own version.”

Committee convener and DPP legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said the budget concerns the safety of 23 million Taiwanese and signals resolve to allies. He defended the classified format as serving national interests through representative politics, not secrecy, dismissing “black box” criticisms from outsiders as a misunderstanding of legislators’ closed-door meetings. 

Wang noted U.S. arms sales typically follow State Department approval, Taiwan’s budget approval, then congressional notice – a routine upended this time by early U.S. disclosure, signaling commitment to communication.