From killing Chinese communists to shaking hands with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials, the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) 180-degree turn should be watched with caution by Chinese people who desire democracy.
Can cooperation between the two parties bring happiness and prosperity to the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait?
"Faced with China's rise, we should be benign, optimistic and focused on co-existence and shared prosperity," former KMT chairman Lien Chan (
Chinese people should be able to surmise from such statements that Lien was in fact talking about co-existence between two parties -- the KMT and the CCP -- and not about the co-existence of a democratic China and a democratic Taiwan.
Lien never got over his loss in the presidential election, nor did he ever understand the true meaning of democracy, which is why he is so keen on flying across the Strait to gain support there to undermine the democratically elected president of his rival party in Taiwan.
"Shared prosperity" to Lien means the prosperity of a few party officials in the KMT and the CCP parties, not the prosperity of the two nations in general.
Chinese should remember the history of KMT corruption that made Chiang Kai-shek (
Every amendment to the party's policies or regulations has been tailor-made for presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
Chinese should embrace the idea of an independent and democratic Taiwan because democracy in Taiwan places pressure on the Chinese authorities to democratize.
There are ample opportunities for joint prosperity after China becomes democratic, and when both sides respect each other's cultural and historical diversity, there will always be a space for regional co-operation.
Some potential models are the bigger EU, the smaller Nordic Council and, somewhere in between, the Council of the Baltic Sea States.
These inter-governmental organizations were formed out of a need for regional cooperation and without disrespecting the member states' borders or cultural diversity.
Taiwanese democracy and independence are not a threat to regional security in the Asia-Pacific region, but rather an opportunity for China to follow suit.
In contrast, China's ongoing authoritarian rule not only conflicts with the Chinese desire for democracy, but also represents a threat to China's neighbors and the rest of the world.
Who will be the next Chinese leader with a clear vision for its people and for its neighbors?
The people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are waiting for a Chinese Gorbachev to appear and for Lien Chan to disappear.
Alison Hsieh
Greece
Speaking at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on May 13, former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that democracies must remain united and that “Taiwan’s security is essential to regional stability and to defending democratic values amid mounting authoritarianism.” Earlier that day, Tsai had met with a group of Danish parliamentarians led by Danish Parliament Speaker Pia Kjaersgaard, who has visited Taiwan many times, most recently in November last year, when she met with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office. Kjaersgaard had told Lai: “I can assure you that ... you can count on us. You can count on our support
Denmark has consistently defended Greenland in light of US President Donald Trump’s interests and has provided unwavering support to Ukraine during its war with Russia. Denmark can be proud of its clear support for peoples’ democratic right to determine their own future. However, this democratic ideal completely falls apart when it comes to Taiwan — and it raises important questions about Denmark’s commitment to supporting democracies. Taiwan lives under daily military threats from China, which seeks to take over Taiwan, by force if necessary — an annexation that only a very small minority in Taiwan supports. Denmark has given China a
Many local news media over the past week have reported on Internet personality Holger Chen’s (陳之漢) first visit to China between Tuesday last week and yesterday, as remarks he made during a live stream have sparked wide discussions and strong criticism across the Taiwan Strait. Chen, better known as Kuan Chang (館長), is a former gang member turned fitness celebrity and businessman. He is known for his live streams, which are full of foul-mouthed and hypermasculine commentary. He had previously spoken out against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and criticized Taiwanese who “enjoy the freedom in Taiwan, but want China’s money”
A high-school student surnamed Yang (楊) gained admissions to several prestigious medical schools recently. However, when Yang shared his “learning portfolio” on social media, he was caught exaggerating and even falsifying content, and his admissions were revoked. Now he has to take the “advanced subjects test” scheduled for next month. With his outstanding performance in the general scholastic ability test (GSAT), Yang successfully gained admissions to five prestigious medical schools. However, his university dreams have now been frustrated by the “flaws” in his learning portfolio. This is a wake-up call not only for students, but also teachers. Yang did make a big
RSS