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Chiang Wan-an asks 'Aren't you going to Beijing for exchanges?' Shen Po-yang: Pay more attention to fact-checking

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an questioned why opposition candidate Shen Po-yang would discuss his potential meeting with a KMT chair, suggesting they share common ground.
  • Shen Po-yang responded that Chiang's remarks were evasive and urged him to verify facts, emphasizing the need for exchanges with China to be on equal footing without political preconditions.
  • Shen used the example of panda exchanges with Japan to illustrate that Taiwan can secure international cooperation without compromising its political stance, advocating for global fruit marketing instead of solely focusing on China.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an deflected a question about his potential meeting with KMT Chairwoman Johnny Chiang, suggesting that opposition candidate Shen Po-yang, who raised the issue, would have more in common with the KMT chair. Chiang implied Shen and Johnny Chiang might find common ground, referencing a supposed plan for Shen to visit Beijing.

He (referring to Shen Po-yang) isn't going to Beijing for exchanges? They (referring to Shen and Johnny Chiang) should have many common topics.

— Chiang Wan-anTaipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an's response when asked about Shen Po-yang's query regarding Chiang avoiding a public appearance with KMT Chairwoman Johnny Chiang.

Shen Po-yang, a candidate for Taipei mayor, responded with a chuckle, characterizing Chiang's tactic as "answering a question with a question." He advised the mayor to "pay more attention to fact-checking." Shen clarified his earlier statement, explaining that exchanges with Beijing should occur without political preconditions and on an equal footing, similar to Taipei's own exchanges.

Mayor, you might need to pay a bit more attention to fact-checking.

— Shen Po-yangShen Po-yang's reply to Chiang Wan-an's remarks, accusing the mayor of evasiveness.

Shen further emphasized that the focus should not be solely on exchanges with one specific country, especially one that imposes political conditions. He drew a parallel to Taiwan's acquisition of red pandas from Japan, which did not require Taiwan to acknowledge being part of Japan. However, he noted that exchanges with China often come with such political prerequisites, citing the issues surrounding pineapple and persimmon exports. Shen argued that Taipei, as a marketing hub, should help farmers export their fruit globally to markets without political conditions, framing this as Taiwan's future.

The original statement was that exchanges should be conducted without political preconditions and on an equal footing, and Taipei should also engage in exchanges with Beijing.

— Shen Po-yangShen Po-yang clarifying his earlier remarks about cross-strait exchanges.

Shen believes that both KMT Chairwoman Johnny Chiang and Mayor Chiang Wan-an are misguided if they intend to confine all matters to exchanges with a single country. He considers this approach inappropriate.

The point is that we cannot focus solely on one country, especially a country that demands political preconditions.

— Shen Po-yangShen Po-yang explaining his concerns about Taiwan's approach to international relations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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