Taipei: Taiwan's Legislature will prioritize the NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget as the first item for review in the new legislative session following the Lunar New Year holiday, Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu announced. In a joint statement with Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang, Han emphasized their role in facilitating cross-party negotiations on the proposal, representing the entire Legislature rather than a single party.According to Focus Taiwan, the special defense budget and related proposals will be the foremost items for review in the session starting in late February. Han and Chiang confirmed that the Legislature will thoroughly discuss and review the related bills, aligning with Taiwan's defense needs and public expectations. The statement highlighted the importance of following democratic procedures to achieve consensus on national defense within Taiwanese society.The announcement by Han and Chiang was in response to a letter from 34 U.S. lawmakers expressing concern over the th reat from Beijing and the potential partial approval of the eight-year NT$1.25 trillion budget. Both Taiwanese leaders acknowledged the value of open exchanges with the U.S. and pledged to contribute to Taiwan's security and the stability of the Indo-Pacific region.The U.S. lawmakers stressed the need for addressing the backlog of weapons deliveries to Taiwan while urging an increase in Taiwan's defense spending, as reflected in President Lai Ching-te's proposed special budget. Taiwan's Cabinet had proposed this budget for 2026-2033 to enhance defense resilience and asymmetric capabilities. However, the Legislative Yuan has stalled its review since its announcement in November.The main opposition KMT, along with the Taiwan People's Party, proposed an alternative defense act, limiting arms spending to NT$400 billion through 2033 with annual funding allocations. President Lai, on Monday, argued that Taiwan could meet the proposed defense spending of NT$156 billion per year, citing Japan's and South Korea's higher defense budgets for 2026 as benchmarks, given Taiwan's economic capacity.