Taiwan election: Candidate mocks opponent's social media 'copy-paste' comments; rival hits back

New Taipei City mayoral candidate Su Chiao-hui on Sunday accused her opponent, Lee Chuan, of using "copied and pasted" social media comments to generate support, calling it a "joke among friends."

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This has already become a joke among friends.

Lee's campaign spokesperson, Kuo Yin-lan, fired back on Monday, accusing Su of orchestrating a "self-directed and self-acted" campaign using "green camp" operatives disguised as ordinary netizens. Kuo also criticized Su for calling a village chief "Zhu Bajie" (a character from "Journey to the West" known for gluttony and ugliness), deeming it the "real joke."

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Su Chiao-hui is now not even pretending anymore, disguising 'green camp' operatives as netizens to create trends and self-direct and self-act.

Kuo further attacked Su's response to a recent "toxic oil" scandal, alleging that Su, as a ruling party legislator, rushed to blame local manufacturers while the central government was still investigating the source of contaminated cooking oil imported from Brazil. Kuo suggested Su's focus on political infighting, like her alleged push for a "big recall," overshadowed the concerns of New Taipei City residents worried about food safety.

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Calling the village chief 'Zhu Bajie' is the real joke.

Kuo contrasted Su's actions with a past incident where former Premier Su Tseng-chang allegedly touched and patted a village chief who had approached him with a complaint. Kuo implied that Su Chiao-hui's public insult to a village chief, whom she allegedly called "Zhu Bajie," was a continuation of a "humorous father-daughter legacy" that was "truly eye-opening" and a "big joke in the political arena."

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The Su Chiao-hui who is full of thoughts of a 'big recall' and 'big political struggle' is back!