Did Shen Po-yang stumble in Wufenpu? Hsu Fu reveals 'Ocean Current'幕后 team: Cognitive warfare extremely effective

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Po-yang has recently attracted attention through street campaigning and exclusive interviews, turning the 'Ocean Current' into a major election topic. Today (25), Ko Ming-chen, a Taipei City Council candidate from the Taiwan People's Party, appeared on CTI's program 'Big News, Big Revelation' and revealed that he once encountered someone claiming to work in Shen Po-yang's team responsible for social media. According to this individual, Shen's publicity team already consists of over 20 members and is still recruiting. Hsu asserted that this group is linked to last year's large-scale recall movements and warned the public not to underestimate Shen Po-yang's promotional capabilities, stating, 'They are extremely, extremely skilled in cognitive warfare.'

Hsu explained that he first met the person at an event where they introduced themselves. Afterward, the individual voluntarily mentioned working for Shen Po-yang's team. Hsu recounted that the person said they came 'from Cao Xingcheng's foundation group.' This was before the 'Ocean Current' gained momentum and before Shen Po-yang accepted Wang Wei-chung's interview. At that time, the individual had already asked whether the team should reach beyond its echo chamber and hinted they were considering arranging an interview with Wang Wei-chung.

Hsu stated that having participated in mayoral and presidential campaigns, he generally understands how campaign teams operate. However, according to what he learned, Shen Po-yang's publicity team alone already has over 20 members and continues recruitment. He bluntly said, 'Do not underestimate Shen Po-yang's publicity team. I believe they are extremely, extremely capable in cognitive warfare.'

Why is the Wufenpu street campaign considered a 'stumble'? Regarding Shen Po-yang's visit to Wufenpu, Hsu believed that conducting such activities during a weekday afternoon might not be ideal for generating crowds. He pointed out that due to the development of e-commerce, many shops in Wufenpu struggle financially, and numerous stores remain closed during weekday afternoons. Therefore, when he saw Hong Jianyi bringing Shen Po-yang there, he questioned the scheduling and described the outing as 'taking a tumble.'

Hsu further noted that sustained attention on the 'Ocean Current' continuously raises supporters' expectations. Using event attendance as an example, initial hopes for 1,000 or 2,000 attendees could gradually rise to 5,000 or 8,000. If promotional content constantly emphasizes crowd sizes across various locations, supporters may eventually become desensitized. He speculated that Shen Po-yang's team might review their Wufenpu experience, which could explain rumors about canceling Shen's Mid-Autumn Festival events.