Taiwan's defence ministry warned of "serious impact" to security after opposition parties passed laws that will require a cut in defence spending of some T$80 billion ($2.45 billion) at a time when the island is facing elevated Chinese military threat. Taiwan's opposition parties, which hold a majority in parliament, last week passed legislation to shift spending from the central government to local municipalities, a move strongly contested by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and thousands of protesters.