TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Legislators for Kinmen and Matsu are proposing legal changes that would allow Chinese companies to carry out construction projects on the outlying islands in an attempt to boost development.

Kuomintang (KMT) Legislators Chen Hsueh-sheng (陳雪生) and Chen Yu-chen (陳玉珍) of Matsu and Kinmen recently put forth an amendment to the Offshore Islands Development Act, per CNA. The proposal would allow private Chinese firms to participate in public works projects, which Chen said on Wednesday (July 3) would boost development.

Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Chen said his constituency currently lacks construction projects, materials, and workers. He said the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has not done anything about this during its time in power and accused the central government of badmouthing ideas to solve the problem.

Both of the legislators said that other KMT lawmakers support their proposal.

DPP legislators say the amendments will threaten Taiwan’s national security if they are made law. Writing on Facebook on Tuesday, DPP Legislator for Tainan Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) accused the KMT of creating a “Chinese version of a trojan horse.”

Wang said there is no defense against Chinese influence in the proposed amendment. It bypasses all the control mechanisms to protect Taiwan in cross-strait regulations, he wrote.

Chen dismissed these criticisms when asked about them. He said that the problem should be studied from different perspectives, and empathy should be used to find solutions rather than continued expressions of pessimism.