Taipei Candidate Shen Po-yang Dismisses Party Neglect Claims as 'Rich Imagination'

Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Po-yang has dismissed media speculation that his campaign is being sidelined by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as having "very rich imagination." Responding to a reporter's question about claims that his party's Taipei city councilors were not actively commenting on his social media posts, Shen quipped that such narratives might not be competitive enough for Taiwan's renowned film industry screenwriters.

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Imagination is very rich. Taiwan's directors, actors, and screenwriters are very strong; what they need is a good environment for integration. If you want to apply for a screenwriter position, or want to compete with these screenwriters, this might not be enough.

Shen made these remarks during a press conference announcing his upcoming visit to the United States. He emphasized that Taipei, as the capital, is a crucial point for breaking diplomatic barriers through exchanges with international organizations and cities. He criticized current leadership for focusing too narrowly on relations with Shanghai, suggesting a lack of recognition of Taipei's global position.

Furthermore, Shen addressed criticism regarding Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an's perceived focus on national food safety issues rather than local governance. Shen argued that Chiang, seeking re-election, cannot evade local responsibilities by attacking the central government. He stressed the importance of transparency and direct communication from the local government when citizens raise concerns, citing recent controversies over public works like storm drain cleaning, tree felling, and an expensive umbrella.

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Chiang Wan-an is seeking re-election. No matter how he attacks the central government, he cannot avoid the responsibilities that the local government should bear. I hope that when citizens raise questions, the local government can be transparent and come forward to explain properly, instead of always using attacks on the central government as a way to avoid the issues that should be discussed.

Shen believes that mayors should personally address public inquiries and controversies to build trust between citizens and the city government. He advocated for listening to citizens' voices, establishing clear standard operating procedures, maintaining transparency, and providing justifications to earn public confidence, rather than creating barriers that suggest a mayor cannot handle such issues.

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Citizens have real feelings about the city government's 'copy-paste' answers. Qin Hui-zhu is just reflecting the feelings of the citizens. From the early storm drain cleaning, to the recent tree felling SOP, and the controversy over an umbrella costing more than 7 million yuan, what the public expects are normal explanations.