Puma Shen’s English interview delivers key message on democracy

2026-11-06

DPP’s Taipei Mayoral Candidate, Puma Shen is making headlines once again for delivering an interview in perfect English. He discusses how he engaged with voters and followed polls always remaining optimistic about the race. He explained the gravity of Taiwan’s democratic elections, and how they are a slap in China’s face.

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
I think a real slap on China is democracy, right? So for me, even Chiang Wan-an got elected is also a slap on China because we prove that democracy works here in Taiwan. And we are not interfered by China, so every election is a slap on them.

DPP’s Puma Shen, who is running for Taipei Mayor, recently sat with Reuters at the Legislative Yuan for an interview conducted fully in English. He discussed the gravity of Taiwan’s elections as a symbol for democracy as well as the impact of the Twin-City forum without interference from China.

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
If there’s no political pre-condition, and if there’s no harassment, I mean from China, and then, if there’s no drills, I mean after there’s the Twin-City Forum. Without all this, maybe it’s okay to have this exchange forum.

Shen mentioned that China still needs the Twin-City Forum so that Shanghai and Taipei can officially communicate.

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
Even when I tried to talk about China, in a soft way, I didn’t really receive criticism by, like you mentioned, any hardcore supporters and saying that, “You should criticize China right now!”

When discussing the growing O’Shen wave, he explained that his supporters are quite diverse, suggesting serving the city is unaffected by political party.

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
I don’t really divide people into blue, white and green. It’s more about like, you are the group that is trying to take care of children or taking care of parents, you have certain needs and I’m the one who can solve the issue.

Shen also mentioned that since entering the election in May, he was 30% behind in the polls and now as the gap continues to close, he remains optimistic.

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
Right now, I’m only losing by 4%, so still I have the chance to win.

The O’Shen wave isn’t just flooding Taiwan, some of it has flowed overseas letting the world see Taiwan’s elections.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#pumashen #oshenwave #dpp #taipeimayor #taiwan #elections

路透全英文專訪! 沈伯洋秀流暢口說強調"誰贏都是實現民主"

2026-11-06

民進黨台北市長候選人沈伯洋，最近接受路透社專訪，全程展現流利英文，他說，自己不斷與選民對話，也一路緊追民調，始終抱有信心會贏；他更強調，台灣展現民主真諦、進行選舉，就是在中國臉上賞耳光。

[[台北市長候選人沈伯洋]]
“我認為"民主"，就是打在中國臉上的一記耳光，所以，對我來說，就算蔣萬安當選，也是對中國賞一記耳光，因為我們證明台灣可以實現民主，而且我們也不受干涉，我的意思是指中國的干涉，所以每一場選舉，都是對他們的當頭一棒”

民進黨台北市長候選人沈伯洋，近期在立法院接受路透社的全英文專訪，強調台灣的選舉展現民主的真諦，他更提到願意舉辦雙城論壇，但前提是中國手腳要乾淨。

[[台北市長候選人沈伯洋]]
“如果沒有政治前提，也沒有騷擾，我指的是來自中國的(騷擾) ，以及(中方)軍演，如果雙城論壇沒有上述這些干擾，也許就可以舉辦”

沈伯洋提到，中國依舊需要透過雙城論壇，讓上海與台北建立起交流機制、實現對話。

[[台北市長候選人沈伯洋]]
“即使我用比較溫和的方式提及中國，我也並未因此招致那些您所提到的，(綠營)強硬派支持者的批評，他們不會跳出來質問我，"你現在就應該批評中國"”

談及小水滴匯聚成「洋流」，沈伯洋強調，洋流的支持者結構相當多元，更表明，服務市民不分立場顏色。

[[台北市長候選人沈伯洋]]
“我不傾向按照藍、白、綠，或其他顏色來劃分人群，對我來說更像是，大家屬於這個群體，有人需要照顧好孩子，或照顧好雙親，你們都有特定的需求，而我就是那個能夠解決問題的人”

沈伯洋也說，從五月投入競選以來，一路從民調落後將近三十個百分點，到現在不斷追進，自己依舊保持樂觀。

[[台北市長候選人沈伯洋]]
“現在我只落後4個百分點，所以我還是有機會拿下勝利”

洋流不只席捲全台，也透過外媒專訪，讓世界看見台灣的選舉，也可以是正向、溫暖的。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

Central Bank highlights Hla’alua people in latest Indigenous coin set

The Central Bank recently unveiled the 15th edition of its Taiwan Aboriginal Culture Series, this time highlighting the Hla’alua people. The coins feature traditional attire, cross-stitch patterns, and a sacred shell to showcase the Hla’alua culture. Each set also includes a NT$20 circulating coin. Only 13,000 sets are to be released, going on sale on Nov. 12.

The design on this commemorative coin includes colorful traditional attire and cross-stitch patterns.

On the reverse side is a sacred shell representing ancestral spirits and the protective power of the family. The set also includes a NT$20 circulating coin. This is the 15th edition of the Central Bank’s Taiwan Aboriginal Culture Series, dedicated to the Hla’alua people.

Teng Yen-ta
Central Bank Department of Issuance director
A total of 13,000 sets will be offered at different branches of the Bank of Taiwan. Each person will be limited to two sets. Each one is priced at NT$350.

Since 1998, the Central Bank has issued 14 of these Aboriginal Culture Series coin sets. The 15th edition this year is to go on sale on Nov. 12. This round centers the Hla’alua people, known for their unique sacred shell festival. The tribe of about 500, primarily from Kaohsiung’s Taoyuan District, was officially recognized as Taiwan’s 15th Indigenous group in 2014. The Central Bank visited the tribe in person for input.

Teng Yen-ta
Central Bank Department of Issuance director
In 2012, we issued a National Parks of Taiwan coin set that continued through 2021. This year, we’re resuming the aboriginal series with this new Hla’alua coin set to honor Indigenous cultures. Much like our zodiac series, we’re not doing this for a profit. The price is very close to its cost.

The Central Bank said it plans to issue coin sets for the official 16th and 17th tribes in the future, hoping to commemorate these unique cultures for future generations.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#CentralBank #coinset #indigenous #Hla’alua #commemorativecoin

2026-11-06

Taiwan shares plummet by 4.51% to end day below 40,000-point mark

2026-11-06

Taiwanese-American baseball star receives gold card from president

Taiwanese-American baseball star Stuart Fairchild, affectionately known as "Fei Zai," is back in Taiwan, to meet the president. Earlier this year, Fairchild became a superstar in Taiwan, after hitting a grand slam against Czechia at the World Baseball Classic. Now, Fairchild is in Taiwan with his family and his wife, who is not shy to share sweet moments of the trip online. Besides sightseeing, a highlight of the trip happened on Friday, when President Lai Ching-te personally presented Fairchild with an Employment Gold Card at the Presidential Office. Let’s hear more.

- Lai will now present Mr. Fairchild with the Taiwan Employment Gold Card.

Lai Ching-te
President
The significance of this Employment Gold Card is to make Taiwan feel like a second home for you. As a baseball fan, I’m thrilled to have this opportunity today to personally thank you face-to-face. During the game between Taiwan and Czechia, when you hit that grand slam with the bases loaded. It was just wow. We’re all huge fans of yours now.

Stuart Fairchild
Taiwanese-American baseball star
Ever since representing Team Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic, the love and support
I have received from the people of Taiwan has been truly overwhelming. I am incredibly proud of my Taiwanese heritage, and this visit has only deepened that pride and my connection to Taiwan. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. (In Mandarin) Thank you, Taiwan.

Fairchild’s visit has drawn plenty of attention, with fans proud to see the Taiwanese-American player embracing his Taiwanese roots. A hero on the baseball field, he’s also a devoted husband off the field. His wife, Hannah, shared a romantic photo of the couple at Taipei 101, captioned "Over the moon." The post got more than 170,000 likes, and left fans gushing that they look like a match made in heaven. Fairchild is also scheduled to take part in a baseball training camp in Tianmu this weekend, where he’ll have the opportunity to interact with local players.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#fairchild #baseball #goldcard #taiwan #grandslam

2026-11-06

Chiang Wan-an rushes to follow suit after Puma Shen sits with KMT veteran

With Taipei’s mayoral race heating up, a cross-party visit is now sparking a political tug-of-war. DPP candidate Puma Shen visited former Taipei City Council Speaker Chen Chien-chih on Thursday to seek advice on governing across party lines. But incumbent Mayor Chiang Wan-an quickly followed suit, inviting the veteran KMT heavyweight to his campaign headquarters. The move raised eyebrows, with critics questioning why an 82-year-old political veteran is being asked to make the trip instead of being visited himself. But it seems that the Taipei mayor ultimately listened to the criticism. On Friday afternoon, a former KMT lawmaker posted a photo showing Chiang visiting Chen.

Chen Chien-chih (Nov. 5)
Former Taipei City Council Speaker (KMT)
I was of course really happy that Puma Shen wanted to visit me. We talked about my experience as council speaker, and about how I handled disagreements between the parties. People from all parties and factions have visited me before running for Taipei mayor, including James Soong, Frank Hsieh and Su Tseng-chang. I gladly welcomed them all.

On Thursday, DPP’s mayoral candidate for Taipei, Puma Shen paid a visit to former Taipei Council Speaker Chen Chien-chih of the KMT, which was seen by some as an attempt to win over Chiang Wan-an’s core supporter base. Chiang immediately responded by announcing Chen had been invited to visit his campaign headquarters next Thursday.

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
I think they completely misunderstood the point of the visits. Former Speaker Chen and I are from different parties. But if I end up governing, my administration will have to engage with the other party. So it’s a must to learn how to handle these sorts of discussions from someone who was council speaker for so long.

Chen Chien-chih (Nov. 5)
Former Taipei City Council Speaker (KMT)
I am 82 years old already. The fact that he still thinks highly of me, and that he doesn’t think I’m too old is something that made me extremely happy.

Kang Jen-chun
Veteran commentator
It’s not so much that Shen is trying to make a breakthrough. I think he is just very interested in getting advice. It’s something he has very strong ideas about. He’s also shown everyone that he doesn’t want to live inside his own echo chamber.

Chen is a KMT heavyweight. Commentators say that, having seen Shen scoring points with his party, Chiang is now rushing to catch up. But it seems he’s forgotten the proper way to do things. Instead of going out to visit Chen, Chiang has invited the octogenarian to visit his campaign quarters instead. What’s worse is that Chiang won’t be present himself. Instead, campaign director Lu Shiow-yen will be the one to meet Chen. It’s not sitting well with some.

Chuang Jui-hsiung
DPP Legislative Caucus
It’s bizarre. If you want to get advice from an elder or ask them for something, you should be the one going to visit them. Chiang maybe was afraid that if he visited Chen, people would once again say that he’s being a copycat. So to avoid that, he flipped it around and asked former Speaker Chen to visit his campaign headquarters instead.

The criticism over Chiang’s visiting etiquette clearly pushed some buttons as former
KMT lawmaker Apollo Chen posted a photo on social media showing that Chiang had gone out of his way to actually visit Chen on Friday afternoon.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#taipei #politics #pumashen #蔣萬安 #elections

2026-11-06

Man jumps out of car just before it explodes on highway

At 8am on the Nov. 6, a car caught on fire on the intersection of Provincial Highway 74 and 139. The driver noticed white smoke coming out of the back of the SUV and quickly came to a stop by the side of the road. The moment he jumped off, the vehicle erupted into flames followed by several loud explosions. In a few moments, the entire car was burned to its shell leaving the driver feeling very lucky to have gotten out in time.

Large columns of smoke and huge bright orange flames emerge from a burning car!

Loud explosions could be heard from a car engulfed in flames by the highway.

Around 8am on Friday morning, a car burst into flames near a highway. In just a few minutes, the entire SUV exploded and burned beyond saving. Firefighters arrived on scene just off the intersection of Provincial Highway 74A and 139 in Changhua to extinguish the fire.

Driver
Owner of the SUV
Suddenly, the back of the car emitted white smoke; I quickly pulled over to the right and stopped the car, the moment I got off it burst into flames. Originally, the car was giving alerts saying that it “needs service.” I was about to head to the service center today, but then this happened.

The accident took place during the morning rush hour and many passing by witnessed the horrifying scene. The driver explained he had received several warning alerts from the car and had already scheduled a check-up at the service center. But as he was driving he noticed white smoke coming out of the back of the car and he quickly stopped the car and jumped out just in time.

Hsiao Chun-hsiung
Firefighter in Changhua East Fire Department
When we arrived on the scene, the fire was quite big, after hosing it down the fire was under control.

Why the car suddenly caught on fire and whether it is directly related to the service warnings remains under investigation.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#fireaccident #carexplosion #traffic #changhua #taiwanaccident

2026-11-06

‘I felt like it!’ Woman rips off 25 license plates from 15 cars

2026-11-06

Deer darts onto Taichung road, colliding with scooter

A rare traffic accident occurred in Taichung when a sambar deer suddenly darted onto the road and collided with a scooter. The scooter and rider were thrown to the ground, suffering multiple injuries. The driver was quickly taken to the hospital and thankfully recovered quickly.

A rare traffic accident occurred in Taichung when a sambar deer suddenly darted onto the road and collided with a scooter. The scooter and rider were thrown to the ground, suffering multiple injuries. The driver was quickly taken to the hospital and thankfully recovered quickly.

A car’s dashcam captured an accident on the right side of the road, as scooters hit their brakes while turning the corner. A deer dashed into the road, crashing into a scooter and bringing the vehicle and its rider down with it.

The scooter was left lying in the middle of the road, forcing riders behind to swerve out of the way. The injured deer scrambled to its feet, finally fleeing the scene in a panic.

This happened on Section 5 of Xiangshan Road in Taichung’s DaduDistrict. The crash left the scooter driver hurt, but thankfully not seriously injured.

Member of public
Driver
When you hit a deer, what if it’s a protected species? Who’s held responsible? If it were me, I’d cover the damage to my vehicle myself. But what about the deer?

An ambulance arrived and took the injured driver to the hospital, where they recovered smoothly.

Liu Yu-hao
Police officer
Drivers traveling through mountainous or rural areas where wild animals are likely to appear should remain alert to road conditions and their surroundings, and slow down to allow for more reaction time.

Scooter debris remained scattered by the scene of the accident, not far from a road sign warning to watch for deer. When drivers collide with wild animals, they have little choice but to cover the damages themselves.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#deer #sambadeer #Taichung #accident #scooter #driver #caraccident #injury #animal

2026-11-06

Taipei Fullon Hotel to be converted into ‘smart’ senior housing

Situated in the heart of Taipei on Jianguo South Road, the first Fullon Hotel in the capital closed its doors in August after 20 years. Now, the property will be transferred into the hands of a senior living community for rent of NT$144 million a year. The operator plans to turn it into a “smart” senior village powered by AI under an expected 20-year lease, earning the landlord, Taiwan Sugar Corp, nearly NT$2.3 billion.

After its closure, Fullon Hotel Taipei, Central is poised to welcome a new tenant.

Chen Chih-fan
FTV reporter
What used to be the first Fullon Hotel in Taipei closed in August after 20 years of operation. Now, a new tenant is moving in. They plan to create a “smart” senior living community with hotel amenities.

Senior citizen
Taipei resident
It’s great! I’ve actually already experienced it myself. This place has lots of facilities you can enjoy.

Senior citizen
Taipei resident
With so many facilities available for support, we won’t need our children to take care of us. And we can get medical treatment nearby.

With the touch of a button, an oxygen concentrator comes to life. This suction machine, too, both of which use AI to monitor health data. Top-notch medical equipment such as this are just the basics for this planned facility. Taiwan Sugar Corp is the landlord of this 33-year-old building, which for the past 20 has been rented out by the Fullon Hotel. Now, it will change hands to a senior living community for NT$114 million per year. With a 20-year lease, Taisugar is poised to earn NT$2.3 billion in the deal. Plans for the facility include 110 double-occupancy rooms, healthcare, and dining services.

Chen Mi
Senior community operator
It’s an environment and space that feels like home, where residents can receive excellent medical, nursing, and wellness care. The building was originally granted Category B commercial hospitality usage. After bringing it up to standard for hotel-style apartments, we added further value by allowing each room to apply for medical headwalls and satisfy H-2 building qualifications.

It may be retrofitted to meet all senior living standards, but it will come with a big price tag. For one person, the rent is NT$20 million over 20 years. Compare that with Ruenfu New Life in New Taipei, which is NT$7 million to NT$15 million for deposit and rent. Chang Gung Health and Culture Village in Taoyuan’s Guishan, which is integrated with the hospital, costs NT$27,500 to NT$47,800 per month not including the deposit, adding up to NT$6.6 million over 20 years.

As Taiwan becomes a super-aged society where every fifth person is over 65, senior living communities are to face overwhelming demand, driving an increase of new players in the market.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#seniorcommunity #seniorliving #superagedsociety #FullonHotel #elderly

2026-11-06

Puma Shen’s English interview delivers key message on democracy