Chinese five-star flag on official website of Taoyuan Dayuan parent-child centre sparks controversy; city government admits it was inappropriate but opposes a political witch-hunt

Aug 16, 2026

The appearance of China's five-star flag on the official calendar of a parent-child centre in Taoyuan has stirred concerns about united-front tactics, creating political pressure for the ruling city government of Chang San-cheng.

  • The Dayuan parent-child centre placed China's five-star flag on its September calendar, prompting DPP city councillor Huang Chiung-hui to question whether Taoyuan was being "comprehensively turned red."
  • The city government acknowledged that the practice was inappropriate; the centre has apologised and taken down the material, and the Department of Women's and Children's Affairs will review and make improvements.
  • This year the centre has adopted "Travel the World, International Month" as its theme, introducing a different country each month; the city government considers it merely a lack of political sensitivity that should not be construed as united-front work.
  • The city government countered that such criticism should be applied consistently, noting that the San-Chih Foundation, which runs the centre, had already taken on childcare operations under former mayor Cheng Wen-tsan, who back then even visited and gave his approval.

Outlook: The city government says it will work out a more rigorous oversight mechanism, but the war of words between the pan-Blue and pan-Green camps over "turning red" and "witch-hunting" is unlikely to subside anytime soon.

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