Taiwanese official slammed for attending social event during food safety crisis

Taipei City Councilor Lee Ming-hsien has accused Minister without Portfolio Chen Shih-chung of attending a social event on the evening of July 11, while a significant food safety scandal involving "poisoned oil" was intensifying. Lee alleged that Chen was seen at a "drinking party" in Tonghua Street, Taipei, at a time when the public expected government officials to be fully engaged in crisis management.

Lee criticized the central government's response to the scandal, describing it as evasive and accusatory towards local authorities. He questioned the government's strategy for restoring public confidence in food safety, stating that no concrete solutions had been presented. The councilor expressed disbelief that Chen, who oversees food safety and has a background in public health, would be attending social engagements during such a critical period.

"If a war were declared, it would be a state of high alert. As a minister overseeing food safety, how could Chen Shih-chung have the leisure time to attend a drinking party?" Lee asked, suggesting this indicated a lack of seriousness from the central government. He speculated that Chen might have been excluded from the crisis response team or was not part of Premier Cho Jung-tai's inner circle, leading to the unusual situation of a food safety minister socializing amidst a crisis.

Chen Shih-chung, a former Minister of Health and Welfare, also serves as the vice convener of the "Healthy Taiwan" promotion alliance. Lee argued that Chen's expertise should position him as a key figure, at least a "deputy commander," in addressing the food safety crisis. The councilor questioned Chen's role, especially after the Executive Yuan held a meeting with six major city mayors to discuss the crisis, and Chen himself commented on proposed amendments to food safety laws.

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If a war were declared, it would be a state of high alert. As a minister overseeing food safety, how could Chen Shih-chung have the leisure time to attend a drinking party?