Opinion Piece: Xu Jiaqing Defends Herself While Attacking Jason Jiang — Truly the Master of Jane Jian

Overseas Chinese Affairs Council (OCAC) Chairperson Xu Jiaqing's 26-day trip across seven countries, costing approximately NT$1.15 million, has come under intense scrutiny after the public report was revealed to be only five pages long. The Taiwan People's Party legislative caucus strongly questioned the trip, suspecting it was 'official tourism under the guise of inspection.' In response, Xu fiercely defended herself, stating on July 31: 'For overnight long-haul flights without accommodation, of course I should take business class!' On August 4, during an interview, she invoked James C. S. C.蒋 (father of Taipei Mayor Jason Jiang), who served as OCAC Chairperson, claiming he never submitted formal overseas reports and merely replied via phone-based official documents with just a few lines.

Xu Jiaqing truly lives up to her reputation as the mentor of Jane Jian, known among Taipei City Government civil servants as the 'Dementor of Information Requests.' She clearly understands the tactics of 'killing the spirit, not just the body' and 'capturing the king to capture the bandits.' If she can strike at Jason Jiang, one of the DPP's current biggest political rivals, why not? With the former chairperson being none other than Jiang's father, the opportunity was too good to pass up. Even if there's no bone in the egg, she'll stuff one in — a tactic identical to Jane Jian's.

Yet while Xu's criticism of James C. S. C.蒋 may sound justified, it fails to resonate with centrist voters and mainstream society. First question: Are you, Xu Jiaqing, receiving a ministerial-level salary from 1994? Are your airfare costs from 1994? Neither is true. The historical and social context is entirely different. Drawing such a comparison is nothing short of a farcical manipulation.

Each era has its own rules. James C. S. C.蒋's use of telegrams to report back certainly complied with the regulations of his time; otherwise, Xu would have outright accused him of illegality. Moreover, the DPP already existed in 1994, and officials were already required to face legislative questioning and oversight. Why then did DPP legislators collectively remain silent? 1994 was the era when Chen Shui-bian and Hsieh Chang-ting were star legislators, and the DPP was at its most combative and aggressive. If such practices were deemed acceptable then, why are they being resurrected in 2026 to shield a current DPP official like Xu Jiaqing? The absurdity of history lies precisely here.

Furthermore, Xu even claimed that overseas Chinese individuals said James C. S. C.蒋 refused to stay in any hotel below five-star standards — baseless allegations that only further degrade the discourse.

The core of public criticism is whether Xu Jiaqing's overseas Chinese affairs achievements justify the national investment. In a context of widening domestic wealth gaps and rising public dissatisfaction with the DPP government, can the public accept such unapologetic use of business class travel? This may be the larger issue at hand.

A word of advice to the entire DPP, including Xu Jiaqing: Attacking Jason Jiang is inevitable in party politics and has its legitimacy, as mutual oversight is essential. But if this is merely a pretext to cover up your own political misconduct, the public isn't that easily fooled. With that, my advice ends here.

*Author is in the financial industry