"Ocean current" heats up the election campaign Akio Yaita: 3 psychological changes among Taipei citizens

The 2026 Taipei mayoral election is heating up. The "ocean current" phenomenon brought about by the Democratic Progressive Party's Taipei mayoral candidate has aroused heated discussions from all walks of life. Senior media person Akio Yaita analyzed that the emergence of "ocean current" reflects three psychological changes of Taipei citizens, including "expecting professionalism and keeping up with the new era", "expecting change and seeing hope", and "rethinking the meaning of safety."

Akio Yaita pointed out that the world is currently undergoing drastic changes, and the international order and industrial structure are constantly being rewritten. If Taipei does not pursue changes, it may lag behind other international cities in many aspects. In addition to doing a good job in basic municipal administration such as transportation, food safety, urban maintenance, and social welfare, the future mayor of Taipei needs to understand science and technology, industry, and international situations, and be able to lead the capital into a new era. Akio Yaita said that Shen Boyang put forward comprehensive municipal proposals, understood the various difficulties faced by Taipei citizens, was good at communication, and demonstrated his sincerity and ability to "solve problems." His outstanding performance has also won the recognition of more and more people.

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Akio Yaita mentioned that Jiang Wanan recently proposed the campaign slogan "Taipei Encore". "Encore" means that after the concert, the audience was still unsatisfied and hoped that the singer would sing another song. But are Taipei citizens satisfied with the past four years? What citizens expect is not only a convenient life and more subsidies, but also hope that young people can live and work in peace and contentment, that international companies are willing to invest, and that Taipei can once again become a desirable city. In the past four years, no one has felt any specific changes in these aspects. Akio Yaita pointed out that "Taipei Encore" emphasizes continuation; "Taipei Upgrade" emphasizes change. They are two different urban visions, but it is obvious that more and more citizens accept the latter.

Akio Yaita recalled that in Taiwan's elections in the past few years, the saying "vote for the Democratic Progressive Party and young people go to the battlefield" often appeared. Now some KMT supporters question Shen Boyang's anti-China stance, believing that his election may stimulate Beijing and trigger a crisis in the Taiwan Strait. Akio Yaita emphasized that China's political and military intentions towards Taiwan involve China's own strategic goals, military capabilities, international environment and war costs, which are beyond the control of any Taiwanese politician. Therefore, being close to Beijing does not mean security, and a tough stance does not mean war is inevitable.

Akio Yaita believes that true security requires adequate preparation, effective deterrence, urban resilience and international cooperation. Now that we see the emergence of "ocean currents", perhaps because the world is changing, some Taipei citizens have also begun to rethink: Who has the ability to lead the city to keep up with the times? Who can give everyone hope? Who can bring a true sense of security?