During his visit to the US, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) met with Republican US Representative Steve Chabot of Ohio, who is cochair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus.
Early this year, a Chinese newspaper criticized KMT Legislator Charles Chen (陳以信), calling him a “secret Taiwan independence advocate” for meeting with Chabot when he visited the US.
By choosing to meet with Chabot, Chu again stepped on Beijing’s toes. One cannot help but wonder: Is he switching to a “pro-US, anti-China” line?
Chabot has long been a firm supporter of Taiwan in the US Congress. While taking part in an event organized by the Formosan Association for Public Affairs in 2014, I had a chance to listen to him speak in Washington, and was moved by his support for the nation.
At a hearing on Taiwan-US relations held by the US, he urged Washington to provide security guarantees to Taipei. He also urged the US government to elevate the level of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) director by making congressional approval of the appointment a requirement, and kept calling for the title of Taiwan’s representative office in the US to be rectified.
Chabot also treasures relationships. After visiting Taiwan during former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) administration, he hung a picture of him with Chen in his office. He visited Taiwan again during former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration to gain an understanding of Chen Shui-bian’s situation in prison due to a corruption scandal.
Because of this, a Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference daily criticized Charles Chen for seeing Chabot. It is impossible for Chu not to know the seriousness of his meeting with the representative, or that his US visit might cause yet more trouble.
When Chu first took over as KMT chairman in 2015, he visited China to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), who cleared his schedule for the meeting amid speculation that Chu would run for president.
However, Chu surprised Beijing afterward by announcing that he would not stand for president. This time, he may have embarrassed Beijing again. Is he truly determined to break up with China?
Yet if Chu really wants to take a “pro-US, anti-China” line, he should first apologize for the KMT’s boycott last year of US pork imports containing the animal feed additive ractopamine, and should first try to reach an internal consensus.
Early this month, Taipei and Washington launched the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade. Although Chu quickly said that the initiative is welcomed, different voices can still be heard within the party, showing that an internal consensus has not yet been reached.
Chu had also sparked an outcry by skipping the KMT primary for the Taoyuan mayoral election. The party was already disappointed with him due to its major defeat in last year’s referendum votes. If his US trip offended Beijing, it might make the internal pro-China force even more uncomfortable and dissatisfied.
Even if Chu survives the local elections at the end of the year, the road to the presidential race in 2024 is still full of uncertainty. As he is no longer trusted by China, if he fails to establish and consolidate the party’s “pro-US” pivot internally, his road to the presidency will be paved with adversity.
Michael Lin holds a master’s degree from National Taiwan University’s Graduate Institute of National Development.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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