What is this ben tu pai? Maybe something to eat? What it certainly is not is a political force that is going to dig the DPP government out of the problems caused by its minority in the legislature.
We admit to being as overoptimistic as anyone. After the legislative elections cut the pan-blue camp's advantage over its pan-green opponents by more than 20 seats, we, along with most other commentators, said that while the green camp lacked a majority in the chamber, they could probably cobble together enough votes to get the DPP's legislative agenda passed. To do so they had to rely partly on the independents and partly on the "localized" KMT, that faction of the KMT which, generally appalled at the party's flirting with the Chinese communists and complete abandonment of any pretence to even remotely care about the interests of Taiwanese, was less than happy with Lien Chan (連戰) and the mainlander neo-conservatives who were now running the party.
In the eyes of some commentators it appeared that this group was all the more powerful because we didn't actually know who was in it -- there was no self-declared membership, such as there is with DPP factions or there was with the New KMT Alliance back in the early 1990s. The very lack of identifiable members seems to have built up the group's reputation for uncanny political skills and Talleyrand-like political deviousness. It was, however, thought that Wang Jin-pyng (
Well, here's a lesson from Friday's showdown over the legislative speakerships: There is no such group. It is the political equivalent of an urban legend. And your votes for Wang were thrown away.
That doesn't mean that there aren't Taiwanese legislators in the KMT, of course. Nor does it suggest that all Taiwanese in the KMT are absolutely happy with Lien's leadership or the direction of the party. But let us face the facts: Why would Taiwanese join a party which, except for the period of apostasy during Lee Teng-hui's (
This is a truth so bitter to some that they don't want to admit it. The current brouhaha about the secret vote in the legislature is a direct result of not wanting to face reality. If only the vote were secret, goes the logic, then people would be able to betray their party -- and presumably the platform on which they were elected -- more easily. This is nonsense, and pernicious nonsense at that. People have a right to know how their representatives vote. But the current way of thinking seems to be that if it were made more easy to betray your party, then the blue camp's solidarity would be damaged. Myopic rubbish! The last thing Taiwan needs is a legislative system in which duplicity and double-dealing are made easier.
In the end it all comes down to money. As long as the KMT is the nation's third-largest business conglomerate, there are many reasons why those less idealistically motivated will throw their lot in with it. Destroy the KMT's financial power and you will destroy its hegemony. The party's history of theft and racketeering is well known. What is the Ministry of Justice waiting for?
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), joined by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), held a protest on Saturday on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. They were essentially standing for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is anxious about the mass recall campaign against KMT legislators. President William Lai (賴清德) said that if the opposition parties truly wanted to fight dictatorship, they should do so in Tiananmen Square — and at the very least, refrain from groveling to Chinese officials during their visits to China, alluding to meetings between KMT members and Chinese authorities. Now that China has been defined as a foreign hostile force,
On April 19, former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) gave a public speech, his first in about 17 years. During the address at the Ketagalan Institute in Taipei, Chen’s words were vague and his tone was sour. He said that democracy should not be used as an echo chamber for a single politician, that people must be tolerant of other views, that the president should not act as a dictator and that the judiciary should not get involved in politics. He then went on to say that others with different opinions should not be criticized as “XX fellow travelers,” in reference to
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