Kao Hung-an Accused of Leading Delegation Overseas for Post-Election Celebration; Hsinchu City Government Denounces Rumor-Mongering and Smear

In response to media reports citing anonymous sources claiming that Hsinchu City Mayor Kao Hung-an had arranged to lead first-level officials on an overseas visit in mid-December, the Hsinchu City Government issued a statement refuting the reports as rumor-mongering and smear.

Taiwan's nine-in-one local elections will be held on November 28.

The pro-green Taiwanese media outlet Liberty Times on Friday (November 6) cited anonymous sources claiming that the Hsinchu mayoral race is a bellwether county/city for Blue-White cooperation, and that although Kao Hung-an is still competitive running for re-election as an independent, she is suspected of using administrative resources to entrench electoral support, from issuing NT$5,000 (S$195) revitalization consumption cash at the start of this year, various activities and various types of doubled vouchers, to even holding various fleeting fireworks-style events, all using public budget funds.

The sources said that it is now rumored that Kao Hung-an has concluded she will be re-elected and will use public budgets to take first-level officials and political appointees on an overseas visit in mid-December as a reward.

The anonymous sources revealed that Kao Hung-an's city government has recently been arranging a five-to-seven-day overseas visit in mid-December, which has been questioned as using public funds to hold a victory banquet.

In response to media reports that same day citing anonymous tips claiming that the Hsinchu City Government's year-end overseas trip is a "post-election celebration," the Hsinchu City Government on Friday issued a statement on its official website sternly refuting the allegations as completely decontextualized political manipulation and malicious smear.

The statement noted that as Taiwan's technology capital, Hsinchu City's year-end overseas trip is at the invitation of the Wonju City Government of South Korea, which visited in March this year, to discuss smart healthcare and cutting-edge industry cooperation, and that the city has also been actively invited by LINE WORKS parent company NAVER Cloud to visit its South Korean headquarters to conduct on-site inspections of smart cities and digital governance.

The Hsinchu City Government expressed strong and severe condemnation of those with ulterior motives who distort legitimate official visits as "enjoying public funds and rewards for victory." The Hsinchu City Government emphasized that municipal construction and international exchanges are highly continuous and absolutely cannot be halted due to political calculations or election schedules, nor can the efforts of public servants in promoting city diplomacy be unreasonably trampled upon.

The city government team has always taken the sustainable development of Hsinchu City and the well-being of all citizens as its highest starting point, focusing on substantive municipal inspections and the benefits of international exchanges, and will not tolerate distortion or misdirection.

The Hsinchu City Government explained that Wonju is a national-level biotechnology industry cluster designated by the South Korean government and is highly compatible with Hsinchu City's industry-academia-research resources; and that LINE WORKS parent company NAVER Cloud's leading practices in smart cities and digital public governance are an important reference for Hsinchu City's urban transformation.

The city government team's active pursuit of international cooperation is precisely to inject new momentum into Hsinchu City's industrial upgrading and public services, and this absolutely cannot be erased by any political rhetoric.

The Hsinchu City Government reiterated that in the face of international competition, Hsinchu City will absolutely not limit itself or stop leading the city toward the world because of malicious smears.

The city government team will continue to uphold a professional and transparent attitude, pragmatically promote municipal affairs and links with international industrial chains, fully defend the well-being of citizens and the honor of the city, and strongly call on all sectors to immediately stop baseless smears and political interference and return to rational discussion of municipal affairs.