Here’s the background:

For decades the ruling KMT used infrastructure spending as a way to maintain a crony capitalist system of patronage. It also heavily favored development in and around the capital Taipei as that was its main base of support.

The current ruling DPP plan would heavily favor the rest of the country that was neglected for decades. The current plan would also break up the traditional patronage system as KMT would no longer be the go to party for local pet projects that can enrich local bosses.

KMT is already a minority party due to its ultimate goal of annexation by China. The distruction of its patronage network would be the final nail in its coffin.

Hence the all out battle to prevent the passage of the bill.

this is an important week in the greater Sinosphere.

this week 30 years ago marks the end of what was the world’s longest running martial law in Taiwan.

this week also marks the death of Chinese Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo while incarcerated. (Only one other regime had a Nobel Laureate die while incarcerated: Nazi Germany). China’s Great Firewall is also blocking all searches and images involving Liu’s, candles, and “RIP”. (Apparently Chinese netizens are expressing their condolences by using the image of an empty chair to bypass the censors.)

Taiwan’s legislative fights have always been used by China to warn its population regarding the danger of democracy. Funny how Taiwan’s old authoritarian ruler, the KMT, picked just the right time to instigate an all out brawl to help facilitate that narrative across the strait.