Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te brought good news for local industry in Changhua, but County Magistrate Wang Huei-mei promptly countered that "small, mincing steps cannot deliver major infrastructure," highlighting the tension between the central and local governments.

• Speaking at an industry forum in Changhua, Lai announced that the long-stalled special district plan for the water hardware rural cluster would complete its review by the end of this year.
• The plan was promoted under former President Tsai Ing-wen but sat idle for years amid disputes over its scale, ultimately clearing review only after being scaled down to a demonstration zone.
• Political observers read the move as a gift to Changhua County Magistrate Wang Huei-mei, who leaves office in four months, yet Lai did not mention her name at any point in his remarks, and Wang was not invited to attend.
• Wang offered thanks on Facebook while pointing to three cases still stuck with the central government: the deregulation of the Changhua-Taichung special district, the Lukang-Hemei MRT line, and the environmental impact assessment for the Erlin industrial park.

Outlook: As Wang's term winds down, the pace at which these major infrastructure projects advance will become a focal point of the KMT-DPP contest in Changhua.