Taiwan's two opposition parties are working to align their versions of a dedicated drone law, but the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) refuses to write a budget figure into the text — a variable for defence drone procurement that is in a hurry to get moving.

• The day after tomorrow, Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu will convene cross-party negotiations on the unmanned vehicle act, with more than a dozen draft versions on the table; the KMT and the TPP are aiming to push it through at Friday's plenary session.
• The KMT version writes in NT$240 billion over six years and the Executive Yuan version NT$210 billion, while the TPP version sets no figure at all, on the grounds that this gives the administration flexibility and shifts the funding to the annual budget process.
• The trigger was the revelation that domestic manufacturer Hangjian Technology used Chinese-made components in bidding for government drone contracts, casting doubt on the effectiveness of the "non-red supply chain".

• The KMT and the TPP have already reached a consensus on excluding Chinese supply chains; the TPP is still seeking the KMT's agreement to add a dedicated committee.

Outlook: If the three parties cannot agree on how to word the budget during negotiations, the version put to a vote on Friday may still come down to a head-on clash between a fixed figure and flexibility.