Health minister Chen Shih-chung formally resigns and starts mayoral election campaign

Health minister Chen Shih-chung formally resigns and starts mayoral election campaign

2022-07-18

Former health minister Chen Shih-chung on Monday handed the reins to Hsueh Jui-yuan, who had acted as deputy minister under Chen. With his health ministry role behind him, Chen said his farewells and kicked off his campaign for Taipei mayor. Chen addressed accusations against him by the opposition KMT, and discussed the city’s old-age pension policy.

Colleagues gather in the hallway of the health ministry to see off Chen Shih-chung. Chen officially stepped down as health minister on Monday, as he prepared to throw himself fully into his campaign for Taipei mayor. While delivering his farewell speech, he took the opportunity to appeal to voters.

Chen Shih-chung
Former minister of health and welfare
Thank you all for your help, through which we achieved success. With your help we successfully tackled the pandemic and ensured the health of our society. In the future, please continue to stand fast in your positions. Remember to vote for me. Thank you, everyone.

Looking back over the past five years as health minister and his work fighting the pandemic, Chen said he had mixed feelings about the future.

Chen Shih-chung
Former minister of health and welfare
Yesterday I was joking with my wife, telling her not to prepare a handkerchief for me – because I knew I would be brought to tears. Afterward I spoke with the chief secretary, and asked her to have a handkerchief ready for me, since I realized I would be unable to stop myself.

Chen is now retired from the health ministry and is on the campaign trail. Meanwhile, in his recently released autobiography, Chen revealed that he once applied for U.S. residency to leave Taiwan during the White Terror era. In response, the KMT criticized Chen for relying on the U.S. and being, quote, “self-important.” Chen fired back at the accusations.

Chen Shih-chung
Former minister of health and welfare
I didn’t use to have a green card, I simply applied for a green card once. However, I didn’t complete the application, because there were quite a lot of people ahead of me in the application process. Everyone should remember, in the 1970s Taiwan didn’t just leave the United Nations, another very serious issue we faced was the White Terror era. At that time there were many university students and others who wanted to go abroad and escape the White Terror. When I talk about this today and get criticized for doing so by the KMT, it pushes me to ask them: at that time did any of you think about leaving Taiwan? I’d also like to say that for them to bring this up as a manipulative tactic is really a bit low.

Personal attacks aside, a mayoral election campaign must focus on municipal policy. To that end, Chen expressed approval of Taipei City government plans to reinstate old-age pensions.

Chen Shih-chung
Former minister of health and welfare
If it were me in charge, I’d issue the old-age pension. We don’t need to be mavericks. Basically, when it comes to respect for the elderly, we need only worry about doing too little – nobody will say we do too much.

With only 131 days until the elections, Chen is planning to make the best use of his time possible. On Tuesday he is expected to announce his campaign team, and on Wednesday he will begin stomping in the city’s Wanhua District.