Taiwan’s lawmakers scuffled in chaotic disputes over controversial legislation on December 20.
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The major opposition Kuomintang party and its allies have pushed for amendments to laws aimed at ousting elected officials, as well as those that concern the government budget and changes to the constitutional court.
The ruling Democratic People’s Party said in a statement the amendments could “cause significant and irreversible damage to Taiwan’s civil society and democratic system” and that the self-governed island’s “democratic self-checking and self-repairing mechanism will be gone”.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.