Taipei Mayor Slams Government for Harming Farmers with Political Tactics

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an has strongly criticized Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) for employing political strategies that he argues are detrimental to the livelihoods of Taiwanese farmers. His remarks came in response to the MAC's investigation into Taitung County Magistrate Rao Ching-ling for participating in the Straits Forum via video conference.

Chiang defended Rao's actions, emphasizing that her participation was aimed at securing export orders for Taitung's pineapple and custard apple (shizi) crops, which heavily rely on markets in mainland China. He asserted that Rao's efforts to support local farmers by seeking trade opportunities were a legitimate duty of a local leader and should not be misconstrued as political maneuvering or "united front" work.

The mayor expressed disbelief at MAC spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh's comments, which suggested that pineapple and custard apples are not widely consumed by Taiwanese people and are thus entirely dependent on mainland China. Chiang countered that even President Lai Ching-te enjoys these fruits, highlighting the disconnect between the MAC's stance and broader public sentiment. He vowed that voters would deliver a clear message to the DPP in the year-end elections, rejecting the use of farmers' interests as political leverage.

Chiang also urged China to establish stable and sustainable trade practices for Taiwanese agricultural imports, including reasonable quarantine tax rates, to prevent farmers from becoming innocent victims of political disputes. He specifically mentioned that the MAC's investigation extends to five other agricultural groups that signed agreements at the forum, warning that such "political suppression" tactics against agricultural counties would be met with electoral opposition.