Shen Boyang, the Taipei mayoral candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party, held a discussion with Taiwanese youths living in Japan in Tokyo today. He arranged a relaxed "quick question and answer" session on the spot, asking questions about the MRT, night markets, AI tools, and the Twin Cities Forum. When asked, "If you don't have to think about voting at all, what is the one thing you would most like to do for Taipei?" Shen Boyang did not hesitate to choose "urban renewal", emphasizing that the problem of old housing in Taipei is not only about the quality of living, but also involves public safety and even life safety. This is also the problem that most requires the political will of the mayor to deal with.
Shen Boyang said that about 70% of the houses in Taipei City are over 30 years old. Urban renewal is one of the most difficult policies that requires the coordination of different interests. Therefore, it requires the mayor to show strong political will to promote it.
Quick Questions and Answers also touches on sensitive issues on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. When asked if he was elected mayor of Taipei in 2026 and invited by China to participate in the Twin Cities Forum, "Do you dare to go?" Shen Boyang immediately replied "dare to go", but emphasized that he has always advocated "capital to capital", "so he should go to Beijing."
He also joked that China may change his name by then, but "Shen Boyang" may only be "Shen", which may be changed to the "Shen" used in China, which caused laughter at the scene.
When asked to comment on what current Taipei Mayor Chiang Wanan did best, Shen Boyang's answer also caused laughter. He said that what Jiang Wanan has done best is to be a little more "do nothing", "because once Jiang Wanan seriously promotes something, sometimes it will make people worry about something going wrong." So at least for now, it is more like "governing by doing nothing."
However, when asked what construction projects in Taipei deserve recognition, Shen Boyang named YouBike, believing that it has indeed brought convenience to many Taipei citizens. He also specifically pointed out that YouBike is not a policy started by the current city government. It has been promoted by Mayor Hao Longbin during his tenure, and the origin of the policy can even be traced back further.
In addition to political issues, Shen Boyang also revealed a lot of personal preferences through quick questions and answers. He chose the MRT between "MRT or motorcycle" and "YouBike or walking". He chose Yangmingshan between Xiangshan and Yangmingshan because he likes to eat chicken on the mountain. He chose Shilin Night Market among the two major night markets in Shilin and Ningxia.
When asked which AI tool he uses most often, he replied "Claude"; his favorite food is ramen, and he specifically designated Ichiran ramen, jokingly saying that it is best for two people to "sit across the partition." He is also a "cilantro fan" and calls himself "a big fan of cilantro." If he could put a snack in the mayor's office in the future, he would choose chocolate or coffee-flavored "puffs."
As for the questions that are asked most often and are tired of hearing, Shen Boyang said that for him, there are no "bad questions". "As long as everyone is willing to ask them, they are all good questions."
From eating ramen, AI tools to urban renewal, Shen Boyang showed a more relaxed side in the quick questions and answers, but when talking about the one thing he most wanted to accomplish for Taipei, he still pulled the answer back to old housing and public safety, and listed "urban renewal" as the municipal work he most wanted to promote even if votes were not taken into consideration.
