Shen Po-yang campaign launch sparks drug policy debate and celebrity backlash

Shen Po-yang Kevin Tsai drug harm reduction Leapmotor Taipei mayoral election

A political controversy has erupted in Taiwan following the campaign headquarters launch of Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Po-yang. The event drew significant attention due to the presence of celebrity host Kevin Tsai, whose attendance sparked backlash from Chinese netizens. Consequently, the Chinese EV brand Leapmotor and fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar have distanced themselves from Tsai, removing related promotional content. Tsai's Weibo account has also been cleared of all posts and followers.

The controversy is further compounded by a heated debate over drug policy. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an criticized Shen Po-yang for past writings in which Shen advocated for community centers to provide drugs and clean needles to users. While Shen maintains his stance is based on international harm reduction models, the Taipei City Health Bureau has clarified that its existing methadone maintenance and clean needle programs are distinct from Shen's proposal and that the city does not support drug decriminalization.

Chiang Wan-an's social media response to the drug policy debate garnered over 410,000 comments within 15 hours, a figure that exceeds previous Guinness World Record benchmarks for Facebook comments on a single item, though official certification has not been established.

Entities

Chiang Wan-an · Democratic Progressive Party · Jiang Wan-an · KMT · Kevin Tsai · Kuomintang · Lai Ching-te · Leapmotor · Shen Bo-yang · Shen Po-yang · Taipei · Taipei City

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] President Lai Ching-te attended Shen Po-yang's campaign event.
[○ 1 SOURCE] A street poll shows Chiang Wan-an leading Shen Po-yang with 37 votes to 31.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Chiang Wan-an stated he would participate in a city mayoral debate.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Chiang Wan-an's Facebook post received over 410,000 comments within 15 hours. www.thehubnews.net
[● 2 SOURCES] Former President Tsai Ing-wen appeared at Shen Po-yang's campaign event.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Host Kevin Tsai attended Shen Po-yang's campaign event.
[● 4 SOURCES] Shen Po-yang held a campaign headquarters establishment ceremony on October 4. 886.news · bccnews.com.tw
[○ 1 SOURCE] Medical professionals launched a petition against the stigmatization of drug harm reduction.
[● 4 SOURCES] Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an criticized Shen Po-yang's past views on drug harm reduction. www.thehubnews.net
[● 3 SOURCES] The Chinese EV brand Leapmotor issued a statement distancing itself from Kevin Tsai. reddot.my · taronews.tw · www.stheadline.com
[● 4 SOURCES] Celebrity Kevin Tsai attended Shen Po-yang's campaign headquarters ceremony. reddot.my · taronews.tw
[● 3 SOURCES] Shen Po-yang's campaign event drew approximately 120,000 people.