Taiwan Accuses Beijing of Election Interference After Sanctions on Puma Shen Family Company
- Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council accused Beijing on October 14, 2026, of attempting to interfere in the island’s democratic elections after China announced fresh sanctions against a company linked...
- The Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office announced that VWAY Co., Ltd., a firm tied to Shen’s father, Shen Tu-cheng, was barred from conducting business or cooperating with entities in...
- The punitive measures followed a report published on October 13, 2026, by the pro-Beijing Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Po.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council accused Beijing on October 14, 2026, of attempting to interfere in the island’s democratic elections after China announced fresh sanctions against a company linked to the father of Democratic Progressive Party mayoral candidate Puma Shen, focustaiwan.tw reported.
Sanctions Targeting the Family Firm
The Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office announced that VWAY Co., Ltd., a firm tied to Shen’s father, Shen Tu-cheng, was barred from conducting business or cooperating with entities in China. TAO spokesperson Chen Binhua stated during a briefing in Beijing that the company had been used to continue trading with Chinese firms and generating profits despite previous penalties.
Beijing unilaterally labeled Puma Shen a ‘Taiwan independence’ figure during the surveillance and later opened a criminal investigation into him. https://t.co/OOPkkpj00S
The punitive measures followed a report published on October 13, 2026, by the pro-Beijing Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Po. The MAC noted that this sequence matched previous actions against the family, where targeted Hong Kong media reports preceded official sanctions from Beijing.
Accusations of Political Interference and Economic Coercion
The MAC condemned the move in an official statement, calling it a malicious attempt to coerce Taiwanese society during an active election cycle. This is clearly a malicious attempt to coerce Taiwanese society and interfere in our democratic elections,
the MAC said.
We will never allow companies associated with diehard Taiwan independence separatists to profit from the mainland.
Chen Binhua
Beijing previously designated Puma Shen as a diehard Taiwan independence separatist in October 2024, imposing travel bans on him and his family. Those penalties were extended on June 5, 2025, to another family business, Sicuens International Co., Ltd. Responding to earlier restrictions on June 13, 2025, Shen maintained that the firm had merely ordered ordinary retail goods such as automotive parts and bicycles from standard suppliers in China.
Rejection of the Taipei Shanghai Twin City Forum
Alongside the business sanctions, the TAO dismissed Shen’s stated willingness to participate in the annual Taipei-Shanghai Twin-City Forum if elected mayor. Shen had previously stated in an interview that he would support holding the event later in 2026 without political preconditions if it benefited local businesses.
Chen rejected that prospect during the Beijing briefing, asserting that separatists stoking cross-strait confrontation are in no position to discuss cooperative exchanges. Meanwhile, Shen’s campaign office responded that Taipei voters are focused on choosing their next municipal leader and that TAO maneuvers will fail to gain public trust in Taiwan.