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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Culture & Society

Taiwan Politician Slams Ruling Party Over Food Safety Focus

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A politician criticized ruling party lawmakers for focusing on attacking local governments instead of addressing food safety issues.
  • The politician attended a rally highlighting concerns over food safety, emphasizing the need to clarify the source of contamination.
  • She urged the government to guarantee food safety and expressed regret over the lack of focus on the root causes of the problem.

Ko Chih-en, a candidate for Kaohsiung mayor, has criticized ruling party lawmakers, accusing them of prioritizing political attacks over genuine food safety concerns. She stated that instead of investigating the origins of contamination and ensuring public safety, these lawmakers are solely focused on criticizing the city governments of Taichung and Taipei.

Food safety issues should transcend party lines; everyone should prioritize it.

— Ko Chih-enKo Chih-en speaking about the importance of addressing food safety concerns regardless of political affiliation.

Ko attended a large rally in Taipei, which she described as "shocking" due to the overwhelming turnout. She lamented that inadequate screen setups prevented many attendees from seeing the stage, potentially diminishing the impact of the event. The rally underscored the public's deep concern for food safety, with participants emphasizing that a government unable to protect the safety of meals cannot effectively safeguard the nation.

"Food safety issues should transcend party lines; everyone should prioritize it," Ko stated. She expressed regret that despite ongoing concerns, many oil products remain on the market before the source of contamination, specifically benzopyrene, has been fully identified. This situation, she warned, leaves the public in a state of anxiety, and the government must carefully consider the implications.

A government that cannot even protect the safety of meals cannot protect Taiwan.

— Ko Chih-enKo Chih-en emphasizing the fundamental role of food safety in national security during a rally.

Responding to questions about a specific legislator's perceived inaction on the Zhonglian oil incident, Ko reiterated her criticism. She asserted that ruling party legislators have offered no substantive views on food safety. Instead, they engage in political rhetoric, questioning whether Taichung and Taipei conducted proper inspections. Ko stressed that the priority should be identifying the source of the problem and outlining how the government will ensure future food safety, expressing disappointment that no ruling party legislator has clearly addressed these critical points.

Ruling party legislators have no views on food safety issues. They are just attacking Taichung and Taipei city governments.

— Ko Chih-enKo Chih-en criticizing the ruling party's response to the food safety scandal.
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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