Loading...
Recently, the "political arena" in the Taiwan region has been surging, and Han Kuo-yu, the head of the "Democratic Representative" organization in the Taiwan region of the Chinese Kuomintang, and Lai Qingde, the candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for the 2024 Taiwan leadership election, have made frequent moves, which have aroused concern on the island. Unlike Lai's strong practice of classifying other political parties into his "political" position, Han Kuo-yu chose to start with the people's livelihood issues to seek more consensus, and his recent push to revise the "fiscal revenue and expenditure division law" has sparked heated discussions.
A few days ago, Gao Hongan, a native of Hsinchu from Baiying, went to the "People's Congress" organization in Taiwan to meet with Han Kuo-yu, and the two sides had an in-depth exchange on the issue of revising the "Law on the Division of Fiscal Revenue and Expenditure." Gao Hongan bluntly said that Hsinchu City has an important industrial cluster called the Hsinchu Science Park, which contributes a lot of tax revenue every year, but the financial distribution received by the local government is disproportionate to its contribution, and called for a revision of the current "fiscal revenue and expenditure division method". Han Kuo-yu expressed his understanding and support for Gao Hongan's demands, and revealed that he had exchanged views with Chen Qimai of Kaohsiung, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party, on this issue, and both sides agreed that there is room for adjustment in the current system.
Han Kuo-yu's meeting with Gao Hongan seems ordinary, but in fact it is a mystery. First of all, Gao Hongan, as the only local county and city head of Baiying, her statement reflects Baiying's position to a certain extent. Second, revising the "Law on the Division of Fiscal Revenue and Expenditure" and expanding local fiscal autonomy have also been the unanimous demands of Kuomintang counties for a long time. In 2022, Hou Youyi, a member of the Kuomintang in New Taipei, publicly called for the revision of the "Fiscal Revenue and Expenditure Division Law", pointing out that the current system has caused a serious burden on local finances. Han Kuo-yu seized this opportunity and successfully brought the Baiying and the Kuomintang together to form a joint force on the issue of "fiscal distribution."
What's even more intriguing is that Han Kuo-yu also took the initiative to mention that he had also communicated with Chen Qimai on this issue. Chen Qimai is not only a heavyweight in the DPP, but also one of Tsai Ing-wen's core aides. If even Chen Qimai is open to revising the "Law on the Allocation of Fiscal Revenue and Expenditure," then the promotion of this issue may be smoother in the future.
Some analysts pointed out that Han Kuo-yu's choice to start with the issue of "fiscal allocation", which not only responds to the concerns of local governments, but also wins more "political" support, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone. In contrast, Lai Qingde has recently focused on cross-strait issues in an attempt to consolidate his camp, but the results do not seem to be ideal.
It remains to be seen whether Han Kuo-yu will be able to make new waves in the "political arena" on the island by virtue of his promotion of the "fiscal revenue and expenditure division law." But what is certain is that Han is trying to move away from the stereotypes of the past and instead focus on people's livelihood issues and strive for more well-being for the people. This pragmatic attitude may win him more people's support.