When President Lai Ching-te attended the regular meeting of the Democratic Progressive Party in Action on September 23, he publicly talked about Taoyuan Mayor Zhang Shanzheng from the Kuomintang, calling him a "national political talent" and a "national-level outstanding talent." Related remarks continued to trigger discussions. Kuomintang Taoyuan City Councilor Yang Chaowei said at the city council's general inquiry today (29th) that since the president affirmed Zhang Shanzheng's academic experience and governance ability, the city government should seize the opportunity to continue to seek funds from the central government for major Taoyuan construction, and turn the president's affirmation into an opportunity for central and local cooperation.
Yang Chaowei said that it is not uncommon for politicians to receive affirmations from the same party, but public affirmations from different political parties are relatively rare. Since the president believes that Zhang Shanzheng is "a person who can do things," central and local cooperation should be implemented. "The president believes that the mayor is a person who can do things, so the funds that should be given to Taoyuan should be given to Taoyuan."
Yang Chaowei pointed out that Taoyuan still has many major transportation, medical and infrastructure projects that require central support in the future. In addition to actively seeking funds, the city government should also plan urban development from a long-term perspective. He believes that Taoyuan should not only think about the next four years, but also look at the development of the next 20 years or even longer, so that central resources can actually be injected into the local area.
Zhang Shanzheng responded that regardless of national or municipal affairs, as long as you are serious and attentive, you can achieve results. He pointed out that in addition to formal occasions such as Executive Yuan meetings, when he and Executive President Zhuo Rongtai had the opportunity to meet outside of the Executive Yuan meetings, he would also express Taoyuan's needs in a timely manner and seek support from the central government.
Zhang Shanzheng said that the major construction projects currently being sought from the central government include the Second Administrative Park, the municipal hospital and the MRT network, etc., which are all important constructions related to the development of Taoyuan in the next 20 or 30 years. He hopes to continue to lay a solid foundation for urban development in the next four years. He said, "I will continue to work for the citizens of Taoyuan with the same level of seriousness in devoting myself to national affairs as executive president."
However, DPP Taoyuan mayor candidate Huang Shijie's campaign headquarters spokesman Huang Xuanyin said that reviewing Lai Qingde's complete speech at the DPP's regular meeting on the 23rd, President Lai not only talked about Zhang Shanzheng and Taoyuan's "acclimatization", but also mentioned his views on Zhang Shanzheng's age and suitability to continue to serve as mayor. At the same time, he affirmed that the 47-year-old Huang Shijie is young, energetic and local enough; KMT members should not extract fragments of information, resulting in incomplete information and confusing the public.
Huang Xuanyin further criticized that Zhang Shanzheng often "hidden" after taking office, causing Taoyuan to miss the opportunity to strive for construction. In the future, if Huang Shijie is elected, he will strengthen cooperation with the central government to strive for more construction resources. He emphasized that Huang Shijie will increase and accelerate cooperation between the central and local governments in the future to revitalize Taoyuan, and criticized Zhang Shanzheng for "first lying down, pushing the central government, and then taking credit" during his administration.
