A scandal over illegally dumped waste in a military restricted zone has erupted in the race for Taoyuan mayor in Taiwan, with attention turning to Democratic Progressive Party candidate Huang Shih-chieh — bad news for the ruling party's electoral prospects.

• At the Army's Northern Testing Center in Hukou, Hsinchu, contractors used road-paving work as a pretext to illegally backfill nearly 20,000 tonnes of waste — a volume equivalent to 39 swimming pools — generating more than NT$1.3 billion in illicit gains.
• Kuomintang Taoyuan city councillor Ling Tao pointed out that Hongping Engineering, the company implicated in the case, made political donations to only one recipient in the last legislative election — Huang Shih-chieh — and that Huang was serving as Political Deputy Minister of Justice during the period when the offences took place.
• The waste included concrete blocks, bricks, plastic and metal parts, which were buried in combat-readiness access roads and around defensive positions. Gravel trucks entered and left the military restricted zone for months on end without being stopped, raising questions about whether someone on the inside was assisting them.
• At the same time, the Ministry of National Defense's 2027 budget was revealed to have allocated insufficient funds for military pay rises, while meticulously accounting for compensation income from service members leaving the military early — drawing criticism that its promises are empty.

Outlook: With only 90 days to go until the local elections, this scandal could become the main battleground in the Taoyuan race, and Huang Shih-chieh's explanation will determine whether the controversy widens.