On Monday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to play his part in the Republic of China’s (ROC) subservient relationship with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). By doing so, Chu proved he is unable to look after the interests of Taiwanese — or respond to criticism from the public, other than by rhetorically asking why the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) does not have a relationship with the CCP like the KMT has.
Chu is really no different from President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) — he pretends to be soft and loveable, while feigning stupidity when required. The young KMT chairman, imitating Ma, is unable to see the wood for the trees and is clearly beyond help.
The public is left asking: What right does the KMT have to conduct relations with the CCP?
The KMT is of course the CCP’s old foe; whereas the DPP, born out of Taiwan’s native soil, reflects the public’s desire to become master of its own affairs, free from the clutches of a foreign ruler and with no enmity toward China.
Taiwanese find the KMT’s pompous, dictatorial attitude irksome. During the Martial Law era, the party demanded that all Taiwanese join them in its quest to sha zhu ba mao (殺朱拔毛) — a play on words referring to killing then-People’s Liberation Army general Zhu De (朱德) and getting rid of then-CCP chairman Mao Zedong (毛澤東).
Former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) persevered with his “three noes” policy — no negotiation, no compromise and no contact — as a way of dealing with the CCP, fully aware that a government involved in secret communications with the “communist bandits” would be disdained by the public.
Nevertheless, following democratization, former vice president Lien Chan (連戰), having suffered successive electoral setbacks but unwilling to accept defeat, ran off to Beijing as then-KMT chairman for a meeting with then-Chinese president Hu Jintao (胡錦濤). In doing so, Lien accepted the principle that there is only “one China,” and that Taiwan is a part of China.
Ma, first as Lien’s successor as KMT chairman and then as president, seeking to restore one-party rule, has worked even harder to lead Taiwan into a “one China” framework. Ma, once an angry young anti-communist, holds up the Constitution that has been forced on the Taiwanese and recklessly claims that Taiwan is part of China, while simultaneously denying that he is selling out Taiwan. However, most Taiwanese do not see it that way.
By virtue of the existing reality, backed up by international law, it is clear that Taiwan is not part of China — even less so a province of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Because of the legal situation and the reality that is Taiwan, Beijing pressures other countries to acknowledge that Taiwan belongs to China and demands that Taiwan accepts this claim.
Beijing loves to proclaim that Taiwan is part of China; that is its own affair. However, for Ma’s administration to express agreement and even accept Beijing’s words — calling it a “consensus” — is nothing short of treachery and betrays the nation.
Neither the KMT nor the DPP has the right to accept that Taiwan belongs to a foreign country — the nation’s future may only be decided by the 23 million Taiwanese.
The current crop of KMT politicians have betrayed their predecessors within the party — and all of Taiwan — by forming a demeaning and subservient relationship with the CCP. The KMT’s actions should be thoroughly investigated by the public.
Chu has misunderstood who his opposite number is and failed to ask the right questions.
James Wang is a media commentator.
Translated by Edward Jones
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