Kuomintang Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun has warned that Taiwan is falling into a "K-shaped economy," in which the technology sector dominates while most of the public can only absorb rising prices, and she has called for raising the share of nuclear power — bad news for ordinary salaried workers, but a positive for industries that support restarting nuclear plants.

• Taiwan's stock market is booming on the back of the AI supply chain, including TSMC and Nvidia, but 80 percent of the economic gains are concentrated in the technology sector, while traditional manufacturing, services, agriculture and fisheries languish.
• People who eat out, commute and rent can see the impressive figures but feel no pay rise, with prices having risen for four consecutive months.
• Without a sensible energy policy, electricity prices will keep soaring; even if rates are frozen, taxpayers' money will ultimately be used to subsidise them.
• Countries around the world are racing to build computing power centres and data centres, and electricity supply has become the issue of greatest concern to companies considering investing in Taiwan.
• A referendum to abolish the nuclear-free homeland policy has been formally approved and will be put to a vote on 28 November alongside the local elections.

Outlook: With the nuclear referendum held together with the local elections, energy policy will become the central theme of the year-end campaign, and the issues of consumer and electricity prices are expected to keep heating up.