Taiwan Government Promotes 0-18 Growth Allowance; Officials Deny Plagiarism Allegations

President Lai Ching-te announced on the 27th that he will fully promote a growth allowance for children aged 0 to 18. Party and government officials highlighted three key points to emphasize that this is not a sudden idea or plagiarism, but the result of a continuous and gradually expanding policy path. President Lai had advocated for building a 'social investment state' as part of his 'National Hope Project' even before taking office, and these measures were formulated against the backdrop of economic growth as a response to the declining birthrate crisis. The government has launched 18 measures under the 'New Strategy for Taiwan's Population Countermeasures,' including subsidies for artificial reproduction, tax cuts for childcare families, and expansion of leave systems, aiming to build a system where the burden of childcare is shared by the state, society, and companies.