Taiwan's parliament approves $25 bn defence spending bill: Speaker

Email: online@newsofbahrain.com

Taipei: Taiwan's parliament officially approved a $25 billion defense spending bill on Friday, ending months of intense political debate. While a significant investment, the final figure approved by lawmakers falls well short of the government's initial proposal, which sought nearly $40 billion for national security.

The parliamentary speaker announced the result in Taipei following the final vote.

According to opposition lawmakers, the multi-billion dollar allocation is primarily earmarked for the procurement of U.S. weaponry. The approval comes after a period of gridlock and wrangling within the legislature regarding the scale and direction of the island's military spending.