00:00The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has passed its 2027 National Security Spending Bill,
00:05which includes 500 million U.S. dollars in military aid for Taiwan.
00:08The funds would go to Taiwan under the Foreign Military Financing Program,
00:12which would pave the way for more arms sales, services, and training.
00:15But in Taiwan, President Lai Qingda's administration and the opposition-controlled legislature
00:19have been unable to agree to a special defense bill.
00:46The main opposition, Kuomintang, proposed an alternative bill for 11 billion U.S. dollars,
00:51funding only U.S. arms deals that were previously agreed upon.
00:54The party says it is committed to funding Taiwan's defense, but won't write the government a blank check.
00:59Lawmakers are still negotiating, looking to find a middle ground.
01:02The political deadlock around the bill has led to concerns from U.S. officials and lawmakers.
01:22On Monday, the top American diplomat in Taiwan said the bill was essential for Taiwan to upgrade its
01:27defenses and signal to the international community that the country is committed to its own security.
01:32Further deadlock could lead to Taiwan slipping down the pecking order for U.S. arms sales
01:36and to even more delays in the delivery of weapons systems.
01:39All this while China continues to engage in great zone harassment,
01:42hostile actions that do not rise to the level of open conflict.
01:45The U.S. bill still has to be approved by the House of Representatives,
01:48then the Senate, and then it can be signed into law by the President.
01:51Here in Taipei, if cross-party negotiations don't succeed,
01:54then competing proposals can be put to a vote as early as next month.
01:58Both Washington and Taipei will be keeping a close eye on what happens next.
02:02Yuan Duan, Hank Xu, and Larry Siano for Taiwan Plus.
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