TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Formosa Chair Wu Tzu-chia (吳子嘉) alleged Wednesday that recent reporting surrounding a dinner meeting involving Chinese automaker BYD was politically motivated and intended to target Legislative Deputy Speaker Chiang Chi-chen (江啟臣) ahead of the Aug. 23 recall election.

Wu said Chiang was "shocked" when asked about the meeting and explained that his office had sent an aide because his public relations director was unavailable at the time, per NOWnews. The dinner took place at the high-end Mountain & Sea House restaurant and reportedly included individuals with political and media ties.

Wu noted that Chiang’s uncle, Chiang Chun-nan (江春男), vice president of the General Association of Chinese Culture, maintains a close relationship with the DPP. The GACC is chaired by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德).

Wu hinted that the scandal may have been orchestrated to damage Chiang's image. He called on Chiang to file a lawsuit against Mirror Media, which broke the story.

Chiang’s office said the meeting was arranged by members of the press and urged the public not to overcomplicate the matter, per ETtoday. Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) has not commented on the controversy directly.

Liao Chiung-chih (廖炯志), head of the Legislative Yuan’s General Affairs Department and an attendee of the dinner, said he was unaware of the guest list in advance. He stressed that none of the attendees had any business dealings with the Legislative Yuan and that he had notified relevant agencies before attending the meeting.

However, DPP Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) questioned Liao’s claims, arguing that the timing and context of the meeting suggested otherwise, per Tai Sounds. The group pushing for Chiang’s recall also called on him to fully disclose what was discussed, urging him to prioritize Taiwan’s auto industry over the interests of Chinese corporations, per Newtalk.

TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) on Wednesday alleged that the dinner may have been a setup orchestrated by cable news outlet SETN, per Tai Sounds. After seeking clarification from Liao, Huang claimed that a senior SETN staff member named Chen (陳) had invited Liao to the dinner.

SETN denied Huang’s accusations, saying such actions are inconsistent with how a media organization operates, per UP Media. The company said it had suspended Chen and launched an internal investigation.