The Sunflower Student Movement in Taiwan unfolded between March 18 and April 10, 2014, sparked by the passage of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA) with China by the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party without thorough review. The protesters, mainly students and civic groups, occupied the Legislative Yuan and later the Executive Yuan, opposing the trade pact that they believed would harm Taiwan’s economy and increase its vulnerability to political pressure from China. Their initial demands for a clause-by-clause review of the agreement eventually evolved into calls for its complete rejection, the establishment of legislation for close monitoring of future agreements with China, and citizen-led discussions on constitutional amendments.

Despite some openness from the KMT to review the agreement line-by-line, the party rejected returning it for committee review. The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) also rejected the KMT's later offer to form a joint review committee, insisting that all cross-strait agreements should be reviewed, citing mainstream public opinion. The DPP’s proposal was, in turn, rejected by the KMT. A rally on March 30 saw hundreds of thousands, according to organizers, gather to support the Sunflower Movement, while pro-China activists and groups also held rallies in opposition.

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng eventually promised to postpone any review of the trade pact until legislation was in place for monitoring all cross-strait agreements, leading protesters to announce they would vacate the occupied premises on April 10. While the KMT expressed discontent over Wang’s unilateral decision, the DPP supported it. President Ma Ying-jeou, who was not privy to Wang’s actions beforehand, continued to call for the early passage of the trade pact, labeling the concessions as unrealistic. The protesters eventually did vacate the legislature, promising to continue their movement in broader Taiwanese society, and cleaned the legislative chamber before departing.