The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) today formally announced Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) as its nominee for Taipei mayor.
Shen is to run against Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in November’s local elections.
Shen has been labeled a “separatist” by Beijing, and he and his civil defense organization, the Kuma Academy, were sanctioned by China in 2024.
Photo: Ho Yu-hua, Taipei Times
President William Lai (賴清德), chairman of the ruling DPP, endorsed the nomination.
Under Shen’s leadership, Taipei would go global, looking not only to engage with China, but also to open up to cities around the world with international forums, Lai said.
His proposed “infinite city forum” would link Taipei with major democratic cities such as Tokyo, London and New York, Lai said.
Shen would guide Taipei with people at the core, while promoting the city to the world, he said.
A Taipei native, Shen was formerly an associate professor of criminology at National Taipei University. He founded the Kuma Academy civil defense organization and is a former director of Doublethink Lab, which investigates disinformation and information operations against democracies.
Shen obtained a Master of Laws from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in Criminology, Law and Society from the University of California, Irvine, where his research focused on social ecology, Lai said.
Therefore, Shen is a “first-rate talent,” well-versed in national security, information technology, law and urban planning, he said.
Shen views city governance not as isolated policies, but as an interconnected ecosystem, and has proposed a framework to create a city that is resilient, transparent and humane, Lai added.
"He also understands that the greatest threat to democracy and human rights still comes from China, and so he has actively engaged in efforts to counter cognitive warfare and disinformation, building Taiwan's social defense resilience," Lai said.
The DPP has only won the Taipei mayoral race once, when Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was elected in 1994.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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