Taiwan's government is about to say whether it will sign off on an opposition-backed drone and defense bill, a decision that matters for how fast the island builds up its own drone fleet.

• The Cabinet's secretary-general is set to announce whether the government will countersign the bill, with the legal deadline falling today.
• Lawmakers rejected the Cabinet's own drone procurement bill and passed an opposition version instead.
• The Cabinet called the passed version regrettable, saying it does not match how urgently the military needs drones or help local industry scale up.
• Even so, the government says national security cannot wait and has already added coastal surveillance drones and two other items to a supplementary budget.

Outlook: Whichever way the decision goes, Taiwan is moving ahead with drone purchases through the budget, but a refusal to countersign would deepen the fight between the Cabinet and the opposition-controlled legislature.