Taiwan's cabinet is moving to fund defense projects that lawmakers cut from an earlier special bill, a boost for the island's weapons buildup and for its defense suppliers.

• Taiwan's cabinet expects to approve an extra spending package as soon as next week, with Chiang Kung missiles and other weapons projects included.
• Lawmakers had trimmed the original defense bill from 23 projects to 10, leaving 13 projects worth about NT$470 billion unfunded — those now go into the new package.
• Drone and unmanned vehicle purchases are also part of the plan, alongside the leftover missile projects.
• Next year's total defense spending would reach about NT$1.1 trillion once pensions and coast guard costs are counted, roughly 3% of the economy under NATO-style accounting.
• Higher gas prices from the Middle East conflict may still change how much subsidy money goes to state oil company CPC, which raised gas prices for power producers by more than 50% over two months.

Outlook: The package is likely to clear the cabinet within days and then head back to a legislature that has already cut defense spending once.