Chuang Jing-Cheng: Advancing Construction and Social Welfare in Tandem to Build a Happy New Hometown for Hsinchu City

(CNA reporter Yeh Su-Ping, Taipei, June 17) Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Hsinchu mayoral candidate Chuang Jing-Cheng stated today that local development and social welfare must advance on parallel tracks. He emphasized that Hsinchu's urban development can no longer stagnate, and pledged to immediately review all halted public construction projects and restart them one by one, restoring the city's long-delayed development and leading citizens toward their shared vision of an ideal hometown.

In a press release issued by the DPP, the live-streaming program 'Wu Qing LIVE' featured the segment 'Adding a Major Guest,' hosted by spokesperson Lin Chu-Yin and inviting Chuang Jing-Cheng to discuss his policy vision.

Chuang mentioned that he taught at National Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu for six years, and the city has long become his second hometown. If elected mayor, he promised to lead Hsinchu's advancement with hands-on leadership.

Regarding the surrounding areas of Hsinchu Senior High School and Hsinchu Commercial High School, over 6,000 students face daily commuting challenges during peak dismissal hours due to insufficient public buses and YouBike availability—many cannot board buses or rent bikes. Chuang recently invited local councilors to walk the school routes and proposed a 'circular school shuttle bus' initiative, aiming to reduce parental car traffic on Xuefu Road through short-distance shuttle services, ensuring students stay dry even on rainy days.

Although no political rhetoric was used during the walk, Chuang firmly believes that 'policies should be open for public discussion, not silenced or removed from public discourse.' He pledged that if elected, he will personally visit any school in Hsinchu facing commuting issues and propose solutions.

On social welfare, Chuang noted his long tenure on the Legislative Yuan's Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee. After detailed fiscal analysis of Hsinchu City, he proposed increasing the Elderly and Love Card points from 800 to 1,200, allowing points to accumulate across months within the same year. He further plans to expand usage to large supermarkets and convenience stores, providing sufficient incentives for seniors to go out more and maintain physical and mental health.

To address the declining birthrate, he introduced an enhanced childbirth subsidy: NT$50,000 for the first child, NT$100,000 for the second, and NT$150,000 for the third.

Chuang reviewed Hsinchu's municipal performance over the past three years, pointing out that major public projects have nearly stalled into chaos. Councilors had already warned in 2025 that the city's sewage treatment plant was operating at 110% capacity. Even with the city government planning to begin construction by the end of 2026 and completion by 2030, there will be a gap period during which citizens must rely on septic tank pumping. However, within Hsinchu—a city branded as a digital technology hub—there is currently no facility to process such waste.

Recognizing Hsinchu as a new hometown for many migrants, Chuang plans to launch a 'Policy Wish Pool' website, allowing citizens to submit their policy ideas online. These public suggestions will be comprehensively integrated into future policy planning. (Edited by Su Chih-Tsung) 1150617