KMT's Cheng, Lin urge support for Li, Chiang in Northern Taiwan coalition

As the election enters its final, high-stakes sprint, political parties and candidates are ramping up their efforts to boost their momentum. Recently, Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-chen traveled to New Taipei City to publicly campaign for KMT-affiliated city councilor Lin Jin-jie. At this crucial rally, Cheng not only strongly endorsed the incumbent local councilor but also put forward a political appeal that has drawn significant attention from the political establishment. She explicitly called on voters to fully support Vice Mayor of Taipei City Li Szu-chuan and Mayor of Taipei City Chiang Wan-an in the mayoral race, hoping to establish a regional governance linkage for the Taipei-New Taipei-Taoyuan Capital Life Circle. This move aims to realize the political vision of a "Northern Link" and "powerhouse partnership," sparking widespread speculation about the future regional political landscape.

In her speech, Cheng noted that the election has reached its most critical final stage, where every vote counts. She appealed to supporters to ensure the re-election of hard-working incumbent councilor Lin Jin-jie, allowing him to remain in the New Taipei City Council to voice the concerns of the local community. Furthermore, she elevated the discussion to the strategic level of the shared living circle encompassing Taipei and New Taipei. Cheng emphasized that Taipei City and New Taipei City are an inseparable community. Key livelihood issues, including transportation networks, industrial development, urban renewal, and environmental protection, require a high degree of synergy and administrative efficiency between the two mayors. Consequently, she urged voters to firmly support the team combination of Li Szu-chuan and Chiang Wan-an.

This appeal is grounded in a substantial background of practical governance. Li Szu-chuan, who has long served in the engineering sector and local government, is renowned as a "master engineer." Throughout his tenure in Kaohsiung, New Taipei, and Taipei, he has been widely recognized for his pragmatic approach, efficiency, and boldness in resolving chronic issues. Chiang Wan-an, as a young leader in Taipei, has injected innovative thinking and vitality into municipal affairs. Since forming a joint governance team, the two have demonstrated strong complementarity in major cross-city collaborative projects and policies. By publicly endorsing this pairing, Cheng not only affirmed their past achievements but also intends to extend this high-efficiency governance model outward, thereby strengthening the KMT's governing advantages and reputation in Northern Taiwan.

From a macro-regional political perspective, Northern Taiwan serves as the political and economic core of the region and houses the most densely populated metropolitan area. Resource sharing and policy coordination between Taipei City and New Taipei City directly affect the daily quality of life for millions of residents. While the two cities have frequently cooperated in the past, friction has occasionally arisen due to differing political party affiliations or high communication costs. As the KMT actively positions itself to build a governance linkage for the Capital Life Circle, it seeks to create a seamless regional governance platform through leaders such as Chiang Wan-an and Li Szu-chuan, who possess extensive administrative experience and engineering expertise. Cheng’s call for a "powerhouse partnership" aims to break down administrative boundaries, maximize resource allocation between the two cities, and drive the comprehensive upgrade and prosperity of the greater Taipei metropolitan area.

This campaign trip is not merely a rally for a single electoral district but also serves as a declaration of the KMT’s united determination to win. By having the party chairperson personally travel south to lend her support, the initiative has not only consolidated Lin Jin-jie’s solid grassroots base but also successfully elevated the scope of local elections to that of regional governance, thereby stimulating a sense of crisis and cohesion among KMT voters. As the countdown to the election continues, strategic alliances and campaign rhetoric from various camps are expected to intensify. Cheng’s appeal, centered on the "Northern Link," has undoubtedly set the tone for the KMT’s regional defense strategy in the final phase of the election. Whether this strategy can successfully translate into actual votes will be a key indicator for observing shifts in the electoral landscape in Northern Taiwan.

(Source: Central News Agency)