Taipei councillor faces social-media backlash after defending Chiang Wan-an’s son’s publicly funded U.S. exchange

Taipei City Councillor Lee Po-yi drew a wave of criticism online after passionately defending Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s son over his application to study in the United States through an exchange program.

During the political talk show “News Face to Face” on the 3rd, Lee said Chiang’s son, Chiang Te-li, had sufficient grades and English ability. He asked why the young man should not be allowed to go, arguing that if officials’ children were barred from publicly funded programs, lawmakers should pass a clear legal restriction.

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As a father, I believe letting my child pursue his dream is absolutely not wrong, and no one can question me about it.

Lee said the case naturally carried political consequences for the mayor, but those consequences should not determine whether his son was entitled to study abroad. He also rejected a guest’s criticism that he lacked self-reflection. “As a father, I believe letting my child pursue his dream is absolutely not wrong,” Lee said. He added that other people should not judge what kind of life he wanted his child to have.

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At least as a father, I fully support Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s approach.

Lee said that, at least as a father, he fully supported Chiang’s decision. For Chiang, he argued, family and children mattered more than political prospects, and not every issue should be viewed through politics.

Clips from the program circulated on social media, and large numbers of users posted comments on Lee’s latest Facebook entry. Some mocked him for defending his political ally so intensely and questioned why he had not shown similar energy in a case involving a 10-year-old girl. Others accused him of failing to speak with the same force about issues involving lawmakers in his own party.

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I think you really lack the ability to reflect on yourself.