Taiwan's premier has signed off on a law to build up the island's drone industry, easing one fight with the opposition while leaving a bigger standoff over eight other bills unresolved.

• Premier Cho Jung-tai countersigned the act promoting home-grown defense and drone manufacturing, letting it take effect.
• His stated test for signing any bill: it must not break the constitution, the law, the separation of powers, or budget discipline.
• The KMT called the signature a basic constitutional duty and demanded the same treatment for the remaining bills.
• The TPP accused the cabinet of running two sets of rules — signing what it likes, blocking what it does not — and warned of a constitutional crisis.
• The DPP says defense needs are urgent and urged the opposition to stop stalling the annual budget, arguing Taiwan must show the world it can host a non-China supply chain.

Outlook: The drone money now sits in a supplementary budget the opposition wants opened to scrutiny, so the fight shifts from countersigning to whether the funds survive the legislature.