Chinese media warns Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an against presidential ambitions: commentator

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an's recent call to abolish the Control Yuan has stirred controversy, with political commentator Chou Hsuan interpreting a Chinese media report as a warning from Beijing against any premature presidential ambitions.

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Someone wants to warn Chiang Wan-an not to act rashly.

Chou, citing an article from the Chinese media outlet C.C.P. (Chung-kuo Kuo-chi), suggested that Chiang has been identified by Beijing as one of the Kuomintang's (KMT) potential candidates for the 2028 presidential election, placing him on par with figures like Han Kuo-yu and Hou Yu-ih. Chou believes this signals a warning to Chiang to "not act rashly."

The article in C.C.P. reportedly highlighted a pattern in past KMT presidential bids, where incumbent mayors of major cities, such as Eric Chu (New Taipei), Han Kuo-yu (Kaohsiung), and Hou Yu-ih (New Taipei), ran for the top office. However, all faced accusations of being "runaway mayors" from the opposing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), ultimately leading to electoral defeat. The report suggests that if Chiang wins re-election as Taipei mayor in 2026 and then runs for president in 2028, he would inevitably face similar criticism.

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In the past three general elections, the KMT has nominated incumbent 'special municipality mayors' to challenge for the top position, including then-New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu, Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu, and New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih, but all encountered the same problem: being labeled 'runaway mayors' by the green camp.

Chou emphasized that Chiang is now considered a contender for the 2028 presidential race alongside Han and Hou. However, he pointed out the historical precedent of KMT "runaway mayors" failing to win the presidency. The timing of the C.C.P. article, Chou argued, makes the message clear: someone wants to warn Chiang against hasty moves. Whether Chiang can navigate this challenge and advance his political career will depend on his own decisiveness, not his subordinates, Chou concluded.

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Therefore, if Chiang Wan-an is successfully re-elected in 2026 and runs for president in 2028, he will inevitably face this same criticism. How to convince voters that he is not using the Taipei mayoralty as a stepping stone to the top position, but is entering the election based on greater responsibility, will be a question he must answer in the future.