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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Culture & Society

Taiwan officials clash over "toxic oil" protest, value of life

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an called for a protest against "toxic oil" at Ketagalan Boulevard, stating inaction makes one "worthless."
  • Premier Chen Shih-chung countered that "no one is worthless" and emphasized that life is precious.
  • Chen criticized the protest as a political stunt, urging focus on policy solutions and clarifying the government's actions regarding food safety regulations.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an has urged citizens to gather at Ketagalan Boulevard for a protest against what he termed "toxic oil," asserting that failing to participate renders individuals "worthless."

Life is precious, everyone should cherish life, no one is worthless.

— Chen Shih-chungExecutive Yuan Minister Chen Shih-chung responded to Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an's call for a protest, emphasizing the value of life.

In response, Executive Yuan Minister Chen Shih-chung emphasized the preciousness of life, stating, "No one is worthless." He characterized Chiang's call to action as a political maneuver rather than a genuine effort to address the issue, stressing that the government's focus is on solving problems through policy.

Calling slogans is a political move, the government is here to solve problems.

— Chen Shih-chungMinister Chen criticized the planned protest as politically motivated and contrasted it with the government's focus on practical solutions.

Chen explained that the Executive Yuan had invited the mayors of the six special municipalities to a food safety law amendment review meeting on July 21. He stated the intention was to gather their input for legislative direction. Chen defended Premier Cho Jung-tai's absence from chairing the meeting, clarifying that the Premier wished to hear directly from the mayors about their perspectives on food safety legislation. He described the mayors as guests whose firsthand opinions were crucial for informed political and professional judgment.

Premier Cho wanted to personally hear the six special municipalities' mayors' directions and opinions on food safety law amendments.

— Chen Shih-chungMinister Chen explained Premier Cho Jung-tai's reasons for not chairing the food safety meeting, emphasizing the desire for direct input from local leaders.

Addressing accusations of a "cover-up" regarding the "toxic oil" issue, Chen detailed the government's response. He stated that upon learning of the issue on June 30, the central government acted within a week to order the cessation of production and sale of affected products by Zhonglian Oil. He outlined subsequent actions, including product recalls, disclosure of downstream manufacturers, and a fine of NT$165.2 million imposed on Zhonglian Oil on July 7. Chen asserted that both central and local governments worked diligently, dismissing the "cover-up" claims as baseless.

If you say this is a cover-up, I think it's completely unreasonable.

— Chen Shih-chungMinister Chen refuted accusations of a government cover-up regarding the "toxic oil" issue, detailing the timeline and actions taken.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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