Taipei:The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has accused Beijing of interfering in Taiwan's elections following China's announcement of sanctions against a company linked to the father of Puma Shen, a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate for Taipei mayor.
According to Focus Taiwan, MAC, Taiwan's top government agency for China affairs, stated that Beijing is using targeted media narratives to influence political camps and candidates, exerting economic pressure during the election campaign. The council described this as a deliberate attempt to coerce Taiwanese society and disrupt democratic elections.
The recent sanctions on VWAY Co., Ltd., connected to Shen's father, Shen Tu-cheng, echo previous actions against another of his companies last year. Reports in Hong Kong media preceded the sanctions, which were announced by the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO). TAO spokesperson Chen Binhua accused Shen's father of using VWAY to continue business with Chinese firms despite earlier sanctions.
Chen also accused Shen of opposing China and obstructing cross-strait exchanges while profiting from the Chinese market. Beijing has designated Shen a "diehard Taiwan independence separatist," barring him and his family from entering China, Hong Kong, and Macao.
Shen's campaign office responded to the TAO's announcement, emphasizing that Taipei's election is focused on choosing a mayor and indicating that such actions do not inspire trust among Taiwanese people. They believe that the incumbent Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, who is running for reelection, shares this view.
Additionally, the TAO dismissed Shen's willingness to attend the Taipei-Shanghai Twin-City Forum if elected mayor. Despite Shen's support for the forum, provided there are no political preconditions, Chen accused "diehard Taiwan independence separatists" of inciting cross-strait confrontation, stating they are unsuitable to discuss cross-strait exchanges and cooperation.