Profile: Why Zhang Jing-sen 'Fears No Death' – Lashing Out at Lai Qing-te's Government, Once Frozen Out by Su Tseng-chang

On July 23, the Executive Yuan formally approved the 'High-Speed Rail Extension to Yilan Project,' with a total budget exceeding NT$352.1 billion. The project will extend 60.6 kilometers eastward from the HSR Nangang Station, establishing the HSR Yilan Station. This major infrastructure initiative, strongly promoted by the Lai administration, has triggered intense criticism from former Executive Yuan Minister without Portfolio Zhang Jing-sen, who has posted scathing critiques on Facebook and even threatened to leave his party. More than two years after leaving government, Zhang has transformed from a key policy architect into the ruling party’s most informed critic. With deep insight into governmental decision-making, his blunt and unrelenting commentary has become a headache for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Once dubbed the 'Super Policy Czar' for overseeing forward-looking initiatives, Zhang now frequently voices dissent on social media, emerging as the party’s contrarian 'black sheep.'