Criticism Mounts Over Taipei Mayor’s Son Receiving Publicly Funded Exchange Grant

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an's eldest son has become the focus of a debate over privilege after qualifying for a city-funded international exchange program.

Chiang De-li was selected for the Taipei Education Department's international exchange student program and received support for one year of study in the United States or Canada. Critics questioned whether Chiang Wan-an had avoided a conflict of interest. The mayor said on Facebook that his son would not accept the education department's subsidy.

Online personality Chen Yi weighed in by recalling that her mother had been a well-known city councilor when Chen was young. She said classmates often came from wealthy or politically prominent families, but people still attributed her achievements to her mother's position.

Chen said her mother could not take her exams for her, and that she won a Taipei-wide speech competition without the judges knowing who her mother was. She argued that Chiang's son had applied under the rules and should not automatically be labeled privileged, adding, “If you are born with a good hand of cards, what can you do?”

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If you are born with a good hand of cards, what can you do?