Unexpectedly, Chiang Wan-an delivered an exceptionally strong performance. On October 31, Lin Junxian, a legislator from the DPP, publicly stated that Chiang must not be underestimated. During the first segment of policy statements, Chiang appeared highly confident, reciting his entire prepared speech verbatim—including even the Hokkien portions—without deviation. Lin speculated that the script was likely marked with numerous sticky notes, enabling Chiang to simply read aloud whenever keywords were triggered, regardless of the actual substance of Shen Boyang’s questions.
The public has long been familiar with the Kuomintang’s tendency toward evasive tactics. In this debate, the blue camp showed little interest in comparing the merits of each candidate’s urban governance vision or engaging in substantive discussion. Their sole objective seemed to be cultivating the impression that Chiang is more knowledgeable about municipal affairs. The phrase “you don’t understand municipal governance” is poised to become the most frequently deployed rebuttal in this year’s campaign. Naturally, as opponents, DPP figures are unlikely to offer favorable commentary on Chiang.
Yet Lin Junxian’s assertion that “Chiang must not be underestimated” and the effort to frame Chiang as appearing more competent on urban issues indirectly acknowledge that Chiang’s performance genuinely stood out. His ability to project expertise on local governance clearly surpassed that of Shen Boyang during the debate. Otherwise, Lin would not have described Chiang as self-assured or used the term “knows municipal affairs.” Clearly, Lin was attempting to defend Shen by suggesting Chiang was merely manufacturing an image of competence.
But the central issue is not whether Chiang is deliberately constructing an image of expertise—it is whether Shen can successfully establish any credible claim to such knowledge. It is evident that DPP officials recognize Chiang is positioning himself around familiarity with urban administration. Even if Chiang’s strategy is transparent, Shen has no viable alternative. This is because Shen lacks genuine understanding of municipal governance, and no amount of pre-debate preparation can conceal that deficiency when under public scrutiny. While Chiang has now stabilized his position, the overall situation remains challenging for him.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880582667815946/
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