Category：Politics

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
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#taipei #politics #pumashen #蔣萬安 #elections

2026-11-06

Puma Shen’s English interview delivers key message on democracy

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

2026-11-06

Comedian hears report on transnational repression

The Legislative Yuan on Thursday held a session about China’s transnational repression. Several government agencies delivered a special report on the issue. Among the people listening in on the presentations was comedian Huang Yi-hao, who has been the target in several repression plots. One legislator from the KMT, Weng Hsiao-ling had an issue with the report, saying it was focusing too narrowly on China, and suggesting there were other forces as well. Let’s hear more.

- Has the government published an official list of hostile foreign forces?
- Everyone knows who Taiwan’s only foreign hostile force is.
- You mean the CCP?
- Correct.

Weng Hsiao-ling
Legislator (KMT)
But are there no other foreign hostile forces besides the CCP? The Mainland Affairs Council and the National Security Council have taken an extremely narrow view of what amounts to a foreign hostile force.

Huang Yi-hao
Comedian
I was looking forward to hearing Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling name some other foreign hostile forces after her question. But she didn’t. She just left everyone hanging, to figure it out for themselves. I honestly don’t know who else she thinks poses a threat to Taiwan. Maybe she can compile her own list. I didn’t understand some of her remarks, so I turned around to ask the people around me, but from the look on their faces, it was clear that they also didn’t know what she was on about.

Comedian Huang Yi-hao was targeted in a series of attacks after mocking Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a routine. A club he was performing in had paint and feces thrown at it by bad actors. He was also later injured in a pre-arranged car collision where the goal was to leave him with broken arms and legs. The plot was traced to individuals in China who provided funding and instructions. As China’s transnational repression grows increasingly aggressive, the DPP and Executive Yuan have proposed several legislative amendments to strengthen Taiwan’s response. However, all of the proposals have been stalled due to opposition from KMT and TPP lawmakers.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#transnational #repression #comedian #ccp #joke #forces

2026-11-05

Furikake fury breaks out as parents slam puny lunch seasoning portions

A battle over rice seasoning has put fresh criticism on Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s free school lunch program. The controversy centers on a tiny packet of furikake seasoning at an elementary school, where teachers were reportedly asked to hand out just 2g per student. The arrangement has sparked questions over whether the meals are enough for children and whether the policy is placing extra responsibilities on teachers. Chiang has promised to ease their workload, while his mayoral challenger Puma Shen is questioning the lack of supporting measures behind the program.

Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s program to offer free school lunches in Taipei has been shrouded in controversy since it launched two months ago. The latest scandal was in Yong’an Elementary School in Zhongshan District.

A resealable plastic bag packed with furikake seasoning carries a note with instructions for teachers: “2g per person please help portion.” A parent shared the picture on social media saying “No wonder nobody wants to be a teacher now, you worry about the kids being hungry and you have extra duties.”

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei mayor
I have asked the Education Department to tell schools that the food should be portioned in a way that lightens the burden on teachers.

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
His free school lunch program lacks supporting measures. It can’t be that the city launches a school lunch policy that requires getting help from the parents. The government’s duty is to listen to what the people are saying. Instead, every time that someone raises questions their response is to say, “No, we’re doing a great job.”

One tallied up the school lunch scandals, counting 2g of furikake, three bigger-than-normal blueberries and four longans. Another one compared Taipei with Tainan, where each student gets a full packet with a whopping 13g of furikake seasoning.

The school has come out to explain the situation. Since furikake is a seasoning, it is not counted as part of the meal and is therefore provided separately to also account for students with allergies. As for the instructions regarding the portions, the school says it previously received complaints that some students were getting more seasoning than others. Now, if they want more, they can just ask the teacher.

Tung Yu-wen
Yong’an Elementary School nutritionist
Our school has been providing furikake seasoning this way for years. The serving of 2g is just the recommended amount. There are no rules to enforce how the seasoning is portioned, and there are no limits on how much they can use. Students who want more can get more from the seasoning area.

Chang Hui-ping
Nutritionist
Furikake seasoning is mixed in with rice to add some flavor. It’s not a dish in itself. It doesn’t really affect the nutritional value of the meals, but it does contain salt, so children are advised to eat it in moderation.

Taipei’s Education Department has asked the school to revise its procedures to not add extra burden onto teachers. Meanwhile nutritionists continue to work for the health of students.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#schoollunch #furikake #yummy #seasoning #rice

2026-11-05

Candidate crosses a line by putting flyers inside a house

Is this taking campaigning too far? In Puli Township, one local resident angrily posted on social media about a candidate who crossed the line. The day before, seeing that no one was home, the politician entered the residence to place promotional materials on a table. She was caught in surveillance footage, leaving the homeowner stunned and feeling disrespected.

Surveillance footage captured 4 individuals entering the front yard of a local residence; they split up and placed campaign flyers all over. Three of them wore bright pink volunteer vests and the candidate wore a black vest herself. Seeing that no one came out of the residence, disregarding whether anyone was home or not, the candidate opened the door and carefully placed a flyer on the table before leaving.

The incident happened in Nantou’s Puli Township. A resident left their home in the afternoon to rush to pick up their child from school. Thinking they would return soon, they didn’t lock the door. They didn’t think that when they returned a candidate’s card and merch, would have appeared on their table. Angrily, they posted about it on social media.

Member of public
Disapproves of these acts
This is inappropriate, what if they went in and something went missing. This would be more controversial. It’s better to just stick the flyers on the door.

In the homeowner’s social media post, they found that twice now the borough warden and candidates had entered their home to leave flyers. Their passionate campaigning seemed to cross many boundaries. The candidate then stepped in to explain and apologize.

Lo Hui-mei
Puli Township Representative Candidate
At the time, I asked, “Is there anyone home?” Their son said, “I’m showering.” I said, “Okay, I’m campaigning and I will put a flyer on the table.” Then I turned around and left and didn’t want to inconvenience anyone. I will do better in the future. If I have caused offense, I will improve and just put the fliers outside. I can take feedback, I know I was wrong.

The candidate confirmed that at the time there was someone home showering, adding that she left quickly after dropping off the materials. Campaigns can be stressful but candidates need to be mindful and not take things too far in the spirit of getting votes.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#pulitownship #nantou #election #taiwan

2026-11-04

Former CCTV presenter critical of Xi seeks temporary asylum in Taiwan

Another Chinese exile has come to Taiwan to seek refuge. This time it’s Cheng Wanjun, who was a talk show host on China’s state television channel CCTV. He previously served six years in prison in China, after he was reported for saying that Chinese leader Xi Jinping would be China’s downfall. Cheng initially moved to Thailand. But after China’s demands to Thailand to repatriate dissidents, he flew to Taiwan to seek temporary asylum. Let’s hear more.

Cheng Wanjun
Former CCTV host seeking asylum
Hello everyone. I am Cheng Wanjun. I am now at Taipei’s Taoyuan Airport, publicly appealing for help. I myself spent six years in prison. To avoid being politically persecuted by the CCP a second time, I have had to move to Taiwan to seek short-term humanitarian protection, so that for the rest of my life I can keep writing and speak freely and do my part to end, as soon as possible, the man-made disaster of dictatorship in China.

Chuang Jui-hsiung
DPP legislative caucus
China is a country severely lacking human rights. From a humanitarian standpoint, and from the standpoint of human rights, he deserves better treatment.

Chang Hung-lu
Legislator (DPP)
We don’t have any laws that can be applied to his situation. We only have the Cross-Strait Act. So, I think referring him to a third country would be the best solution. If he goes to a friendly third country, he’ll be able to travel all over the world in the future, while his personal safety is guaranteed.

The 58-year-old Cheng was released from prison last year. However, after publishing works he had written behind bars, he was forced into exile. While in Thailand, he feared deportation and recently sought help from the United Nations. But his request was rejected. He then made the decisive move to fly to Taiwan, hoping to obtain temporary political asylum and assistance with resettlement in a third country. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council has said it could not verify the evidence supporting his claims, and noted that he was still able to freely enter and leave China. Under existing protocol, the government can therefore only send Cheng back to Thailand.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#refuge #humanitarian #ccp #taiwan #thailand

2026-11-04

Is Mayor Chiang copying Shen’s newsletter idea?

Running for Taipei Mayor, DPP’s Puma Shen will publish the third issue of his newsletter next week. The new issue will be edited by well-known astrologer, Jesse Tang, and will include horoscope predictions. Meanwhile, his rival, Mayor Chiang Wan-an, has also released a new publication called, "Wan-an Alarm." Does the alarm mean he wants citizens to brace themselves? Some are accusing him of plagiarizing Shen, to which KMT Lawmaker Lo Chih-chiang fired back saying, "Is breathing plagiarism?"

Arriving at the Legislative Yuan, the DPP’s candidate for Taipei Mayor, Puma Shen is wearing a tie. He is invited to a fashion and beauty event on Wednesday, which explains his outfit switch up.

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
This is a program that is focused on dressing well, but I honestly don’t know how to be stylish like that, so I just wore a tie so it looks a bit more formal.

Shen has become a huge source for online traffic causing programs to rush to interview him. As his campaign grows steadily, he plans to publish the third issue of his campaign newsletter next week. At the same time, his opponent, Mayor Chiang also released a brochure, “Wan-an Alarm,” which details a policy comparison with Shen. He came under fire for plagiarizing this.

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
Normally, when you hear an alarm, you should hide. So I think the name is quite interesting.

Lo Chih-Chiang
Legislator (KMT)
I am currently plagiarizing Puma Shen. Why? Because I am breathing. I am wearing glasses so I am also copying him. I am wearing a suit jacket so this is also plagiarism. I am wearing shoes which are also plagiarizing him. Is having longer hair also plagiarizing him? Puma Shen is really the center of the universe; I offer you my worship and respect.

Rosalia Wu
Legislator (DPP)
I heard they printed a million copies, wow! What a huge accomplishment. I’m also a Taipei citizen, I will go home today and check my mailbox to see if I received a “Wan-an Alarm” newsletter. Once I see the contents, I can share my thoughts.

Since she hadn’t seen Mayor Chiang’s new publication, a reporter on-site provided a new copy of the “Wan-an Alarm,” for Rosalia Wu to see.

Rosalia Wu
Legislator (DPP)
There are so many photos of Mayor Chiang. You can count it too, how many are there? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, there are 9 photos of Mayor Chiang.

Comparing the campaign newsletters, one is more like a newspaper with 6 pages, the other is more of a single-sheet flyer. Whether citizens opt for the blue or green product, remains a small indicator of the election result.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#dpp #kmt #newsletter #萬安警報 #chiangwanan #pumashen

2026-11-04

Kaohsiung touts achievements in AI urban management

The Kaohsiung City Government recently held a presentation touting its Smart Lighthouse Project, which harnesses the ability of AI to manage traffic, inspect roads, monitor flooding, and maintain the environment. Through this initiative and more, Kaohsiung is laying the groundwork to create a cutting-edge city of the future that balances governance autonomy, institutional innovation, and industrial power. Even compared with other initiatives, it serves as a global model for smart urban governance.

Existing CCTV footage and municipal data are analyzed by vision-language models to detect anomalies, turning the raw observations into trackable data. From there, reporting, dispatching, and any subsequent tasks are managed seamlessly. Kaohsiung’s Smart Lighthouse Project enables the city to be proactive, responding in real-time rather than addressing issues after the fact.

Chen Chi-mai
Kaohsiung Mayor
We currently have the world’s earliest and largest sovereign AI at the city level. It serves as the brain for municipal governance.

The city’s presentation focused on four main applications: traffic, public works, water management, and environmental protection. With the new system, municipal data no longer languish in silos.

Chen Chi-mai
Kaohsiung Mayor
This platform aims to break down these data silos, allowing the city’s central brain to integrate disparate datasets to make well-informed decisions.

Real-time traffic conditions from the Transportation Bureau. City buses acting as inspectors for the Public Works Bureau. Image recognition to detect flooding for the Water Resources Bureau. AI monitoring of emissions and street litter for the Environmental Protection Bureau. Through the city’s smart governance platform, municipal departments can keep track of incident locations, live video, and response progress to delegate, dispatch personnel, and fix problems while also tracking outcomes.

Chien Chih-cheng
Chunghwa Telecom chair
Among all the worldwide efforts to build out smart cities, this one is truly a pioneer.

Using existing municipal data, AI technology, and municipal workflows allows the city to detect anomalies earlier. Agencies can then get the information they need to quickly address any issues, gradually realizing the promise of improving municipal governance through technology. According to the mayor, a true “smart city” makes quiet improvements behind the scenes, making life better, even when you don’t notice it.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#smartcity #Kaohsiung #SmartLighthouseProject #AI #ChenChimai #sovereignAI

2026-11-03

Is wearing Puma brand clothes to the polls illegal? CEC responds

One of Taipei’s mayoral candidates happens to share a name with a popular international sports brand. No, it’s not Chiang Wan-an, but Puma Shen. The coincidence has left people wondering about the legality of wearing clothes from that brand on Election Day. After all, sporting campaign symbols to the voting booth is indeed illegal. Election officials say simply wearing clothes of any given brand is not problematic. Here’s what Puma Shen himself had to say on the matter.

Puma Shen
Taipei mayoral candidate
It’s already an established brand, so in theory, wearing clothes from that brand shouldn’t pose a problem in the eyes of the law. But still, there is a little bit of a gray area depending on how you interpret it. So I would still recommend everyone to just wear regular clothes to the polls. That would avoid any controversy. And consider this, setting aside the legality of it all. Imagine that you happen to walk into a group of people who support the other candidate. They might see things differently. If they look at your clothes and the might say “Hey, you’re campaigning!” or “You’re breaking election laws.” And then an argument might break out. That wouldn’t be ideal at the polls on Election Day.

Chuang Jui-hsiung
DPP legislative caucus
If I usually wear Puma and I change into Adidas clothes or some other brand just for the election, wouldn’t that be bizarre? In any case, the ballot doesn’t say Puma Shen, it says Shen Po-yang.

The Central Election Commission says that only concrete attempts at campaigning are against the law. Examples include canvassing for votes at polling stations or near polling stations, and wearing campaign items such as vests or badges. Such behavior is punishable with fines of up to NT$1 million. So be sure to check your outfit before heading out to vote.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#cec #puma #pumashen #sports #streetwear

2026-11-03

Queues of O’shen fans are harassed by borough warden

Elections are drawing closer which is turning the heat up in Taipei. The fanbase for DPP candidate Puma Shen continues to grow, and many stores are posting announcements online about selling merchandise. On Monday evening, one such photo studio in a community in Daan was giving out O’Shen banners. As the queue grew longer and longer, people waited quietly. That’s until the local borough warden caught wind of the situation and began taking videos and loudly harrassing them, claiming they were “breaking the law.”

- Can I cordon you in your homes? Hmm?

Puma Shen’s many fans arrived at an O’Shen merchandise store lining up to collect banners and trinkets. However, the local borough warden was not a fan. He began scolding them, taking videos, and even calling the police.

Shih Chung-sheng
Qunying Borough Warden
Our apartment complex has a peaceful environment, all of you lining up here are a nuisance, hurry up and leave, go home!

This is Qunying Borough in Daan District. A store owner had posted an announcement online saying he could give out Puma Shen’s merchandise banners and other items to support Shen. He didn’t expect the turnout to be this huge, with a long queue stretching far and wide. Although everyone was waiting quietly, the borough warden was causing a scene driving them away.

- If this was your district, your home, would you allow strangers to surround your home?
- I live here.
- Then you should be more defensive of our safety.
Tell me which unit, I’ll bring people to your house.
- Bring people to my house?
- Yeah.

Locals taking photos silently turned away and didn’t want to escalate the situation, but the borough warden kept saying it was private property and outsiders couldn’t enter, he even called the cops.

- When the police arrived, they said this was not an illegal act

Shih Chung-sheng
Qunying Borough Warden
The police perhaps was not aware of this, radical expression in open areas will cause large commotions. If you look at Article 305 of the Criminal Law, entering private areas is already something illegal.

Mr. Chen
Photo Studio Owner
This has always been a quiet community, and we don’t want to disturb residents, if you want to have conversations then please lower your voice, and maintain the quiet and also don’t shout. Everyone was slow to cooperate and then of course, more and more people came, I had to come out twice or thrice to warn them.

During the owner’s interview, the borough warden stood on the side recording. Netizens discovered he is a supporter of the KMT’s Legislator Lo Chih-Chiang.

Shih Chung-sheng
Qunying Borough Warden
In our community, there are three big nos: Politics, ethnic discussions and religion.

Mr. Chen
Photo Studio Owner
We are a democratic nation, this is a democratic society. Within public housing there are differing opinions, political ideas and stances, I am also a resident here. President Lai Ching-te once said, “it doesn’t matter if we have different political views, we must stand as one nation.”

As elections draw closer, both parties and their supporters are under major scrutiny.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#mayoralelections #taipeimayor #dpp #kmt #pumashen #oshen

2026-11-03