China's Taiwan Affairs Office vowed on Wednesday to hold "diehard Taiwan independence" figures accountable for life, after Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen, who is on its list, wore a bulletproof vest in Tokyo. Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian was answering a question about the vest at a regular news briefing when she said "all necessary measures" would be taken against those listed, Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) reported. Shen's campaign said the remarks answered recent public concern about his wearing the vest.
What did the office say? Zhu said the "diehard Taiwan independence" figures had reached a dead end and were as jumpy as "birds startled by a bowstring," the Liberty Times reported. Those on the list would not be tolerated and would be "punished according to law and held accountable for life," she said.
Why was Shen wearing a vest? Shen, the Democratic Progressive Party's candidate, had travelled to Tokyo days earlier to "experience a runner's life" and was seen wearing body armour under his sportswear, drawing attention, CNA reported. Campaign spokesperson Lin Yu-tung said in a written message to a group chat that when a regime publicly threatens to take "all necessary measures" and pursue "lifelong accountability," no one can take such a threat lightly. Shen has been wanted and sanctioned by China for a long time, and whether he visits the United States or Japan, his team takes necessary security measures based on professional security assessments, she said. Lin said this was not stirring up fear but a careful response to a risk that objectively exists.
What has China done to Shen before? The Taiwan Affairs Office put Shen on its "diehard Taiwan independence" list on October 14, 2024, and in June 2025 Chinese authorities extended the sanctions to his father and affiliated companies, CNA reported.
What happens next? Lin said outside threats would not affect Shen's determination to serve Taipei residents, and that his scheduled events would go ahead as planned. Shen would not stop because of threats and would keep listening to residents and setting out a vision for the city, she said.
