Taiwan's government will hand out cash to every citizen next year, and Kaohsiung's mayor says the plan is normal budgeting, not a political payoff.

• President Lai announced a NT$10,000 cash handout for next year, drawing accusations it's a bribe to get the overall budget passed.
• Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chi-mai pushed back, saying any cash handout has to be written into the budget by law before it can happen.
• He wants the legislature to approve the budget by year-end so people get the money before Lunar New Year.
• The government's argument: Taiwan's economy grew at its fastest pace in 39 years, helped by the AI boom, so there's room to help lower-income families.

Outlook: The fight now moves to the legislature, where the budget must clear review before year-end for the payments to land before the new year holiday.