TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei City Councilor Chien Shu-pei (簡舒培) made a post on social media about an escalator in Taipei’s MRT Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station on Sunday (July 9), which drew attention to the fact that it was programmed with a Chinese accent.

In the video clip shared by Chien, the machine, located at Exit No. 5, can be heard saying, “The escalator is in operation,” but with a Chinese accent. Chien mused in her post “People are wondering if Taipei City has been encircled by the Chinese Communist Party.”

In response to Chien’s post, the Taipei City Government said that the Farglory Group, which installed the machines, promised to address the problem and change the voice, reported CNA. The Farglory Corporation has been contracted to develop the new area of the underground station, which connects the SYS Memorial station to the Taipei Dome across Zhongxiao East Road.



Chien recognized in her post that the Taipei government was not directly responsible for the issue, but said that it was their responsibility to oversee the contract work being carried out by Farglory in cooperation with the Taipei City Department of Sports.

The councillor, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party, suggested in her post that since Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) took office, the influence of Beijing and the CCP has become more pervasive in the local government of Taipei City. Chien admonished the Chiang administration for being naïve in its dealings with China, and for being overtly influenced by the CCP.

The Farglory Group is reportedly still in the process of reviewing various aspects of the MRT project and will make necessary adjustments in the coming weeks, per reports.