Political infighting since President William Lai's inauguration has impeded Taiwan's efforts to bolster military spending and has prompted Chinese military and economic retaliation. Going forward, this dysfunction will imperil the fulfillment of U.S.-Taiwan trade and arms deals. May 20 marked one year in office for Taiwanese President William Lai of the center-left Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP. Four months before his May 2024 inauguration, RANE forecasted that the results of the January 2024 general election -- which secured Lai's presidency but also put the conservative Kuomintang and center-right Taiwan People's Party in charge of the legislature -- would bring about tortuous policymaking and institutional obstacles. Reality has been even more dysfunctional than projected. The opposition has attempted to erode the separation of powers in favor of the legislature, threatening a constitutional crisis for the nation's top court, and pushed through a budget with historic cuts aimed at hobbling the implementation...
