Su Chiao-hui attends youth forum to seek New Taipei leadership through dialogue

Democratic Progressive Party politician Su Chiao-hui attended a youth forum hosted by the Students' Union of Taiwan on the evening of the 7th. Through in-depth dialogue with the students present, she demonstrated a high degree of approachability and sincerity in communication. Su clearly expressed during the event that she is very willing and deeply honored to have the opportunity to engage in extensive and profound exchanges with various generations, ethnic groups, and diverse communities across Taiwanese society. This event was not merely a straightforward policy presentation or panel discussion; it is also seen as a crucial step in contending for the future leadership of New Taipei City. At a critical juncture focused on how to attract the identification of young voters and listen to grassroots voices, this type of cross-generational dialogue holds exceptional benchmark significance.

With the deepening of Taiwan's democratization process and the flattening of information dissemination, youth political participation and generational justice in public policy have become core issues that cannot be ignored in current elections. The younger generation often holds different perspectives and a sense of urgency compared to traditional voters regarding livelihood issues such as housing justice, low-wage dilemmas, childcare policies, transportation planning, and local sustainable development. By choosing to accept the invitation from the Students' Union of Taiwan to stand at the youth forum at this time and directly face sharp questioning and policy scrutiny from students, Su undoubtedly aimed to demonstrate her emphasis on the voices of the new generation and attempted to break down the common barriers between politicians and youth. This posture of actively stepping into campuses and embracing dialogue with diverse groups helps shape her open, attentive, and forward-looking political image.

As Taiwan's most populous special municipality, New Taipei City features a vast territory and a diverse demographic structure, encompassing indigenous peoples, new residents, the Hakka community, and migrant populations from all over Taiwan, while also gathering many young commuters and first-time voters. To stand out in such a highly complex political landscape, relying solely on traditional organizational mobilization or pan-blue and pan-green confrontations is no longer sufficient to meet voter expectations. Candidates must propose concrete and feasible policies while demonstrating the leadership capacity to forge consensus across different generations and ethnic groups. The cross-generational and cross-ethnic exchanges emphasized by Su during the forum strike at the core pain points of local governance in New Taipei City; only by embracing all streams can one truly understand the various structural challenges this city faces during its rapid development process.

From the strategic perspective of party politics, the Democratic Progressive Party has continuously faced internal and external challenges and transformation pressures in recent years regarding expanding the youth vote and reaching out to non-traditional supporters. The voting behavior of young voters tends to be more independent and less bound by traditional party loyalty, as they place greater value on a candidate's personal traits, policy professionalism, and attitudes toward social issues. By participating in a forum independently organized by students and voluntarily placing herself under the spotlight and rigorous scrutiny, Su not only demonstrated the confidence and courage to face the challenges of the new generation, but also played an important bridging role for her party in securing the recognition of the youth demographic, helping to narrow the distance between politicians and students.

The successful conclusion of this youth forum not only highlights Su Chiao-hui's active attitude toward public policy discussions, but also reaffirms that in contemporary Taiwanese political ecology, only through sincere dialogue and genuine listening can the ultimate trust of voters be won. As the pace of the election accelerates, how candidates transform the youth perspectives and policy suggestions gathered at the forum into concrete and feasible municipal blueprints will serve as an important indicator for observing her future electoral trajectory. For the future of New Taipei City, a leader capable of transcending generational and ethnic barriers and consolidating the consensus of the vast majority of citizens is the key to the city's continued progress.

(Source of Facts: Central News Agency)