Shen Po-yang: Taipei's Award is an Honor, but Rat Infestations and Food Safety Must Also Be Addressed

Central News Agency Report

(CNA reporter Huang Li-yun, Taipei, 14th) Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an visited Singapore to attend the World Cities Summit and receive an award. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Po-yang stated today that while winning the award is a source of pride for the city, current issues such as transportation, food safety, and rat infestations must also be seriously addressed to make Taipei even better.

Shen Po-yang attended the Dadaocheng Wharf River Memorial Ceremony this morning. Before a press conference, reporters asked how he viewed Chiang Wan-an's claim to focus on municipal affairs while simultaneously traveling to Singapore to receive the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Special Award.

Shen stated that Taipei's award is undoubtedly a source of civic pride, but it should not overshadow recent public concerns, including rat infestations, escape room safety, market renovations, transportation networks, and connectivity with hiking trails.

He believes the award reflects the accumulated achievements of citizens, civil servants, and past mayors, but current challenges must also be acknowledged. He hopes Taipei can continue to improve.

Shen noted that the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Special Award is a special category recognizing unique aspects of Taipei, such as weekly fresh milk distribution, former Mayor Chen Shui-bian's 'no garbage on the streets' policy, Ma Ying-jeou's 'pay-as-you-throw' system, and Ko Wen-je's district-level parks and sports centers. These cumulative efforts shape how the world perceives Taipei.

However, Shen emphasized that Taipei's transportation system still has room for improvement, not to mention food safety and rat infestations. These ongoing issues are not considered in award evaluations, which instead focus on innovative governance solutions. He believes that if Taipei can adopt creative approaches—such as those used by other countries to combat rat problems—it could strengthen its position in future international city competitions. The key public concern, he said, is identifying which technological and governance capabilities Taipei can leverage to solve existing problems.

When asked about the controversy over the Taipei Film Festival's translation of the Iranian film 'Harmonica' as 'Huan Wo Chui Le Mei' (Can I Blow Now?), which sparked criticism from international directors, Shen said translation should adhere to the principles of 'faithfulness, clarity, and elegance.' He noted the current title lacks both faithfulness and elegance. While translators may have individual styles, accuracy should be prioritized. In cases of controversy, retaining the original title or adopting a more straightforward translation would be better approaches.

Shen believes this is an easily correctable issue for the Taipei City Government, and maintaining fidelity to the original work would suffice. (Edited by Wu Su-jou) 1150614