Taiwan Budget in Limbo Despite 'Peace' Talks
Taiwan's 2025 budget is still hanging in the balance after a "reconciliation lunch" between the Cabinet and opposition parties failed to break a deadlock.
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00:00A media scrum outside a rare cross-party lunch,
00:03as Taiwan's government and opposition-controlled legislature
00:06look to overcome a budget stalemate.
00:17Taiwan's deep political divisions are coming to a head.
00:20The legislature has blocked the government's 2025 budget for weeks.
00:25Many hoped that this closed-door lunch could bridge the divide
00:28and approve funds before the end of the year.
00:49The opposition, the Taiwan's People Party or the TPP and the Kuomintang or the KMT
00:54say that the government's budget does not add up
00:57and that there isn't enough money allocated for bills passed earlier this year.
01:28The ruling party, the Democratic Progressive Party,
01:38which won a historic third presidential term in office this year but lost control
01:43of the legislature, accuses the opposition of playing party politics.
01:58Behind all this, deep political divisions,
02:02a party in power that wants to keep neighbouring China at arm's lengths
02:06and an opposition that favours closer ties across the Taiwan Strait.
02:28A hostile legislature like this has spelled disaster in the past,
02:39crippling government plans for everything from housing to defence.
02:47President Lai Ching-de has promised to keep China at bay with increased military spending,
02:52including big-ticket items like developing domestically produced submarines.
02:57That agenda now at risk as party politics continue to disrupt this country.
03:03Karma Hsu and Rick Lowatt for Taiwan Plus.