Taiwan Holds Largest Recall Vote Against China-Linked Opposition Lawmakers

Taiwan is holding its largest-ever recall election targeting 24 lawmakers from the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party, accused by civic groups of being too close to Beijing and obstructing President William Lai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) agenda, particularly on defense spending. The recall vote represents a critical test for the anti-China movement and could shift legislative power to support Lai before the end of the year. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council has condemned China's attempts to interfere in the democratic process, highlighting repeated comments by Chinese state media and officials urging voters to oppose the recall, which Beijing views as a threat to its territorial claims over Taiwan. The KMT denies being pro-Beijing and criticizes the recall as a politically motivated attack undermining the parliamentary election results, framing it as an effort by Lai's party to impose a dictatorship. The heightened political tensions coincide with increased Chinese military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan, including naval drills and aerial incursions, as Beijing rejects Lai's offers for dialogue and labels him a separatist. This recall vote is seen as a manifestation of Taiwan's internal struggle over its sovereignty and resilience against Chinese influence amid an increasingly fraught cross-strait relationship.