Wu Tsung-hsien Holds First Yilan Rally; Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an Shows Strong Support, Calls for Unity

(CNA, Yilan, Reporter Wang Chao-yu, 19th) Wu Tsung-hsien, the Kuomintang (KMT) candidate for Yilan County Magistrate, held his first large-scale campaign rally tonight in Yilan City after announcing his candidacy. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, who has family ties to Yilan, was among those who attended to show support, chanting "Great Unity, a New Path for Yilan" to demonstrate their resolve. The event featured appearances by Chiang Wan-an, Yilan County Council Speaker Chang Sheng-te, Yilan Mayor Chen Mei-ling, and Chen Wan-huei, chair of the Taiwan People's Party's Yilan County chapter. Chiang's entrance was met with continuous cheers from the crowd. In his speech, Chiang Wan-an said that Wu Tsung-hsien surpasses him in two aspects. First, Wu has a daughter; as a father of two, Wu deeply understands the hardships of parenting and has proposed many policies to alleviate the pressure on the "sandwich generation." Second, Yilan is a sacred place for democracy, and its citizens are discerning; running for Yilan County Magistrate requires not only real capability but also immense courage. Chiang said that Wu's policy proposals not only "hit the nail on the head" but also show great foresight for the county's governance. Wu has proposed "dual science park cooperation" between the Beitou-Shilin Science Park and the Yilan Science Park to promote industrial links and talent exchange, creating a win-win situation for Yilan and Taipei and bringing more quality job opportunities. Wu has also noted the inconvenience of Yilan commuters needing "two cards" and is actively promoting the "Taipei-New Taipei-Keelung-Taoyuan-Yilan TPASS Integration Plan." Furthermore, Chiang added that even before becoming magistrate, Wu has already pushed for amendments to the Fiscal Allotment Act, securing an annual NT$12.8 billion in financial resources for Yilan. This represents real money that can be invested in local construction and care for the community. In his speech, Wu Tsung-hsien stated that although he was not born in Yilan, he loves and lives in Yilan, and his household registration is also in Yilan, so "I am an Yilaner." He disagrees with the phrase "Yilan is a backyard," and wants to achieve great things in Yilan, retain its people, and forge a new path. Wu said that in today's global village era, relying solely on Yilan's budget and talent to improve the county would create bottlenecks. It is necessary to promote cooperation with other cities and counties, for instance, making commuting more convenient with TPASS and creating jobs for Yilan residents through science park collaborations. Wu mentioned that many young people leave their hometowns to earn money and cannot be with their parents. He hopes to enable young people to find good jobs in Yilan and stay with their parents, as having children by their side is the greatest happiness for the elderly. Wu said he would do everything in his power to have tourist groups stay an extra night in Yilan, boosting consumption at souvenir shops, hotels, eateries, and farms to improve everyone's livelihood. Additionally, he hopes to attract talent from all over to Yilan to carve out a path to prosperity for the county, embracing all who come.