Taiwan's opposition-led parliament has approved a big drone-buying law, and critics say the way it hands control to the economics ministry could weaken the military instead of strengthening it.

• Lawmakers passed a KMT-backed bill spending NT$240 billion over six years on drones and defense self-reliance.
• The economics ministry, not the defense ministry, is the lead agency — so buying decisions may favor local manufacturers over battlefield performance.
• The law creates a strategy committee staffed by party-nominated outside experts, raising the risk that sensitive drone software and electronic-warfare details leak.
• Funding shifts from a special budget to NT$40 billion a year from the regular budget, which could squeeze existing spending on ammunition, spare parts, and maintenance.
• Writer Chao Hsiao-hui calls the setup absurd, arguing it lets opposition parties direct military purchases and weaken the Lai administration.

Outlook: Expect a fight over implementation, with the defense ministry and the ruling party pushing back on who really controls the money and the specifications.