TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A prominent opposition legislators has launched blistering accusations against Taiwan's ruling party, comparing its alleged financial misconduct to practices employed by Beijing. Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), a legislator from the Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨), a centrist political force founded in 2019, on Thursday (July 3) accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨), which has controlled Taiwan's presidency since 2016, of engaging in illegal profiteering schemes "reminiscent of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP, 中國共產黨)". The allegations center on what Huang described as manipulated government procurement processes that allow certain media companies aligned with the ruling party to secure multi-year contracts through limited competitive bidding.
At a press conference held at the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament, Huang presented evidence that Sanlih E-Television (SET, 三立電視), a network widely perceived as pro-DPP, has secured government contracts for six consecutive years while participating in formal procurement tenders only three times during that period. The lawmaker specifically targeted SET's military-themed program "All New Vision" (全民新視界), which promotes itself as a collaboration with the Ministry of National Defense (MND, 國防部). According to Huang, the show has consumed approximately NT$130 million (US$4.5 million) in taxpayer funds over six years while failing to attract significant viewership numbers.
The TPP legislator extended his allegations to include Formosa Television (FTV, 民視), another network with perceived pro-government leanings, claiming it has adopted similar contracting patterns this year. Huang condemned what he characterized as systematic misuse of public resources by media organizations politically aligned with the ruling party. He expressed frustration that those who question these procurement practices are often smeared as sympathizers of the Chinese Communist Party, a particularly damaging accusation in Taiwan's security-conscious political environment. Huang's criticism extended to President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), whom he accused of delivering overly partisan speeches while demonstrating poor governance and information management skills.
The opposition legislator contrasted Taiwan's growing defense expenditures and broad public support for strengthening the island's self-defense capabilities with what he described as misallocation of government resources. Huang argued that instead of directing funds toward meaningful defense initiatives, the administration channels money to media conglomerates with pro-DPP leanings through questionable procurement practices. These arrangements, according to Huang, provide no tangible benefit to critical national priorities such as military recruitment or defense readiness at a time when Taiwan faces increasing pressure from across the Taiwan Strait. ◼
(At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$28.847)