Taipei mayor election is a victory for democracy over China whoever wins

Taipei's mayoral election this month will be a victory for democracy in the face of pressure from China whoever wins, said the ruling party's candidate who Beijing detests as a "separatist".



The Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Puma Shen, an academic-turned-lawmaker, is vying to win back the capital for the party for the first time in three decades.



Shen has been repeatedly attacked by Beijing, which has opened a police investigation into him.



China, which views Taiwan as its own territory in claims rejected by Taipei, is not directly on the ballot for the local elections on November 28. Shen and incumbent Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an, who has been in office since 2022, have focused on issues such as urban renewal.



Speaking to Reuters at his legislative office this week, Shen said China was unhappy at the fact that Taiwanese could freely choose their leaders. Some polls have put Shen within striking distance of Chiang or even ahead of him.



Chiang's campaign team said in a statement that the vote was a "concrete expression of the democratic system" and that "no external force should exert political pressure on Taiwan's democratic elections."