To celebrate its 110th anniversary, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a large campaign rally in Taoyuan yesterday. Not only did the KMT gather all its county and city heads, but they also brought out the Sun Yat-sen (
A growing party always explores new territories while marching toward the land of its enemies. Only a party that is dying makes a priority of defending its old territory. Over the past few years, the KMT's Hakka supporters in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli have been shaken. Hence, the party is in a panic, pulling the party elite to these areas, and trying to politically hypnotize its traditional supporters by upholding a founding father.
The rise of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), as well as its various campaign strategies, are targeting both the KMT's party-state system and its greater-China ideology. A founding father, national anthem and emblem, the party's assets inappropriately obtained through all kinds of political and administrative means over the past half a century are genuine symbols of the party-state system. Let us not forget that Sun was also one of the founders of the KMT, and that it is called the "Chinese" Nationalist Party.
If our nation's "founding father" were Sun Yat-sen, who was a founder of the "Chinese" Nationalist Party, why shouldn't the DPP's democratic pioneer, Cheng Nan-jung (
The KMT's confusion on the issue of national identity is at issue. KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and PFP Chairman James Soong (
Opposition parties have the democratic chance of winning power, but they also must show their loyalty to the nation and its people. An opposition party that is so disloyal, constantly forecasting Taiwan's doom, and viewing "Taiwan consciousness" as something pernicious, is clearly pushing the limits of treachery.
An announcement of a merger between the KMT, the People First Party (PFP) and the New Party was scheduled for today's anniversary celebrations, but was cancelled. From where we stand, this plan indicates a drowning KMT clutching at straws. The KMT does not have the courage to cut away the wart-like excrescence of the one-party state and maintain an ambivalence to national identity. Whatever political actions it takes -- even prayers to the gods -- won't save them, or slow down their slide to destruction.
Yesterday's KMT slogan: "We must find the right path if Taiwan is to have a future." We agree. For only by putting Taiwan first and breaking down the party-state will the KMT have a future.
Two sets of economic data released last week by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) have drawn mixed reactions from the public: One on the nation’s economic performance in the first quarter of the year and the other on Taiwan’s household wealth distribution in 2021. GDP growth for the first quarter was faster than expected, at 6.51 percent year-on-year, an acceleration from the previous quarter’s 4.93 percent and higher than the agency’s February estimate of 5.92 percent. It was also the highest growth since the second quarter of 2021, when the economy expanded 8.07 percent, DGBAS data showed. The growth
In the intricate ballet of geopolitics, names signify more than mere identification: They embody history, culture and sovereignty. The recent decision by China to refer to Arunachal Pradesh as “Tsang Nan” or South Tibet, and to rename Tibet as “Xizang,” is a strategic move that extends beyond cartography into the realm of diplomatic signaling. This op-ed explores the implications of these actions and India’s potential response. Names are potent symbols in international relations, encapsulating the essence of a nation’s stance on territorial disputes. China’s choice to rename regions within Indian territory is not merely a linguistic exercise, but a symbolic assertion
More than seven months into the armed conflict in Gaza, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take “immediate and effective measures” to protect Palestinians in Gaza from the risk of genocide following a case brought by South Africa regarding Israel’s breaches of the 1948 Genocide Convention. The international community, including Amnesty International, called for an immediate ceasefire by all parties to prevent further loss of civilian lives and to ensure access to life-saving aid. Several protests have been organized around the world, including at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and many other universities in the US.
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