Party competition is a normal phenomenon in democratic countries, but no opposition party in any country is so unreasonable as to block the national budget five times, disregard the constitution and undermine the government. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party’s (TPP) coalition is behaving barbarically, hoping to completely paralyze the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) administration for their own political gain. The real victims, however, are the Taiwanese. This not only impacts national defense, diplomacy and economic policy, but also prevents KMT-led local governments from implementing their own projects. DPP supporters are not the only ones harmed — KMT and TPP supporters also suffer as a result.
While stationed in the US, I witnessed the disastrous effects of the KMT cutting the international publicity budget. I personally experienced the profound harm to diplomatic efforts caused by their reckless actions. While I was working in Los Angeles in 2004, then-US national security advisor Condoleezza Rice was angered by China’s proposed “Anti-Secession” law. The law claimed that Taiwan’s desire to maintain the “status quo” was a call for independence, and asserted that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held the right to attack or impose sanctions on Taiwan for pursuing independence or delaying unification. The law crossed a line drawn by the US that neither party unilaterally change the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, thereby severely harming US interests.
As the law was harmful to Taiwan, the administration at the time instructed all units stationed abroad to counteract it and work to promote international awareness. However, the KMT’s erasure of the international publicity budget for overseas offices made this task incredibly difficult.
Personally covering the costs for food and gas, I successfully lobbied an LA Times reporter to publish a story about Los Angeles’ Taiwanese community protesting the law, which expanded into a front-page international news feature. They created a striking piece featuring a tank being blocked by citizens, as during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. The tank was rolling over Taiwan’s democratic territory, the site of the 1990 Wild Lily student movement.
However, the office lacked the funds for printing at the time. Thankfully, the overseas Taiwanese community donated to help print the promotional flyers. Sure enough, the publication attracted the attention of the US public and major media outlets such as the LA Times, Fox News and The Associated Press. Reporters were sent to demonstrations to interview protesters and publish news reports supporting Taiwan. The LA Times dedicated the front page to its report, which spanned more than four pages and resulted in major publicity.
Although there were Taiwanese demonstrations in many large US cities, mainstream US media outlets for the most part did not publish reports on the issue. The press offices stationed across the US lacked funds for dinners with reporters and gas for business trips — thus, they could not expand the movement.
Countering China’s “Anti-Secession” law and fighting for international support for the “status quo” was an issue of great concern for national security and public safety. Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) took this diplomatic work seriously, yet the KMT made it difficult for units stationed overseas to carry on with their work and severely affected Taiwan’s national security. Today, opposition legislators continue to block the government budget, which would have a serious impact on Taiwan’s diplomatic relations and government functions. I ask all opposition legislators, do you not feel ashamed about hurting our country and people this way? How uncivilized must you be? How long can this spectacle drag on?
Michael Lin is a retired diplomat, formerly posted in the US.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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