Taiwan's parliament passed a drone and defense-industry law written by the opposition Kuomintang, and the presidential office says the final version falls short of what the military actually needs.

• The bill on strengthening defense self-reliance and the drone industry cleared its final reading in the legislature.
• The presidential office said Taiwan risks pulling the handbrake while the US, Britain, Australia and Japan speed up their own drone programs.
• Yeh Yao-yuan, a professor of international studies at the University of St. Thomas, blamed the opposition parties instead, calling them the only real brake on Taiwan.
• He tied the fight to a bigger problem: defeatism and Chinese infiltration inside Taiwan's own politics.
• He argued Washington is more worried about the region than Taipei is, and will lean on the opposition if it keeps blocking military drone funding.

Outlook: Expect more pressure from the US and from Taiwanese voters if the opposition continues to hold up drone spending in the legislature.