Taiwan's president has promised to unblock a long-stalled industrial park plan in Changhua, a win for local businesses but also a political favor read as a parting gift to the county's outgoing chief.

• President Lai Ching-te said the water-hardware industrial cluster plan in Changhua will clear its review by year's end, after 11 years stuck in the pipeline.
• The plan dates back to former president Tsai Ing-wen and only moved forward after the county agreed to shrink it into a demonstration zone first.
• Changhua county chief Wang Hui-mei was not invited to the event and got no mention in the speech, though the announcement is widely seen as aimed at her.
• Wang thanked Lai on Facebook but pushed back, saying "small steps can't build big projects," and asked him to personally speed up three other stalled projects — a zoning release, a Lukang–Hemei transit line, and an environmental review for a precision industry park.

Outlook: The cluster plan should clear review before the end of the year, but Wang's other three projects remain stuck in central government hands as her term winds down.