Parties agree Cabinet can sign arms agreementsON HOLD: KMT and TPP lawmakers declined to grant the Cabinet prior approval to sign an expected letter of acceptance to buy Altius’ 600 and 700M dronesBy Ben Blanchard / Reuters, TAIPEIThe three main political parties yesterday agreed to authorize the government to sign US agreements for four arms sales packages before the defense budget is passed, after officials warned that Taiwan would go to the back of the line if it missed the deadline. Sunday is the deadline to sign for the other weapons systems, the ministry said. The US$11 billion package also includes Altius-600 and Altius-700M drones, although letters of acceptance for those systems have yet to be issued. KMT and TPP lawmakers also declined to grant the Cabinet prior approval to sign a letter of acceptance for the Altius drones. US President Donald Trump’s administration has pressed allies to increase defense spending, a plank Lai and his government have enthusiastically embraced.

Source: Taipei Times March 12, 2026 16:25 UTC