Xie Longjie registers for Tainan mayor, urges blue‑white coalition, promises no re‑run

As the election campaign draws nearer, the Tainan mayoral race has entered a decisive phase, with candidates from both the blue and green camps displaying strong ambition and concrete plans. KMT legislator Hsieh Lung‑chie officially filed his candidacy with the Central Election Commission today, formally joining the contest for Tainan mayor. At his registration press conference, Hsieh delivered a striking announcement: he called for a comprehensive blue‑white alliance to concentrate the opposition’s forces, and pledged that, should he win, he would “absolutely not seek re‑election.” The statement underscored a “do‑or‑die” approach and sent a sizeable shockwave through southern Taiwan’s political landscape, attracting intense attention from observers.

Hsieh’s campaign strategy centers on “generational change” and “breaking long‑standing rule.” Aware that Tainan has long been a stronghold of the Democratic Progressive Party, he emphasized the difficulty of the KMT fighting alone and stressed the importance of opposition integration at the moment of registration. He asserted that to unite all forces opposed to the status quo and eager for change, the KMT must actively pursue full cooperation with the Taiwan People’s Party and other non‑green actors, jointly overseeing and reshaping the city’s governance. Moreover, Hsieh reiterated his “one‑term only, no re‑election” pledge, aiming to disrupt entrenched local politics and signal to voters that he carries no electoral baggage and will devote his term to construction and reform. The approach is clearly tailored to Tainan residents’ appetite for change.

On the DPP side, candidate Chen Ting‑fei, who emerged from a competitive primary, has chosen to confront the race with substantive policy proposals and a forward‑looking vision for the city. On the same day, Chen released an AI‑generated animated policy video titled “Five Major Tourism Corridors,” using high‑tech visuals to present her comprehensive blueprint for Tainan’s future tourism industry. The advanced AI production not only breaks from the conventional format of political speeches but also captures the attention of younger voters and the tech‑savvy generation, demonstrating her keen grasp of digital campaigning and innovative communication.

Chen’s “Five Major Tourism Corridors” platform aims to inventory and interlink Tainan’s rich cultural heritage, natural ecology, and culinary assets. Through systematic transportation planning and coordinated site linkages, the proposal seeks to alleviate longstanding problems of weekend traffic congestion and uneven regional development. The plan spans from coastal eco‑tourism to in‑depth cultural experiences in the historic districts of the city, aspiring to shift Tainan’s tourism from isolated hotspots to a comprehensive corridor‑based development model. By unveiling the AI‑animated video, Chen not only showcases the depth of policy work accumulated from years of local engagement but also signals to voters that she possesses the capability to transform the traditional capital into a smart tourism city.

Overall, the Tainan mayoral contest has already entered a heated pre‑final stage. Hsieh leverages opposition integration and his no‑re‑election commitment as breakthrough tools to rally anti‑incumbent forces, while Chen relies on solid policy substance combined with tech‑driven outreach to consolidate grassroots support within the green camp and attract swing voters. As the blue and green camps each deploy distinct strategic layouts, the competition intensifies, carrying implications not only for the balance of power between the two parties but also for the direction of Tainan’s urban transformation over the coming years. The race is set to become a focal point of Taiwan’s national political discourse.

(Source: Central News Agency)