On April 19, a large-scale protest to counter Beijing’s political influence was held in Taipei. The rally, called “Reject United Front, Defend Taiwan,” was organized by YouTuber Pa Chiung (八炯) in partnership with the Anti-Communist, Safeguard Taiwan Volunteers Alliance. It drew an estimated 55,000 participants, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds, ideologies and political affiliations to voice their concerns.
This diversity was most evident in the array of flags displayed at the rally, including rainbow flags, the national flags of the US and Japan, Revive ROC Freedom Party flags and Snow Lion flags, among others. However, the most striking image at the scene was the Republic of China (ROC) flag flying alongside the Taiwan independence flag, which feature a whale totem and the words “I stand for Taiwan independence.”
It was an unprecedented sight, as the two flags stand for sharply polarizing ideologies. The two flags can be seen as the embodiment of the two major political parties — the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The deep ideological divide between the two parties, rooted in conflicting views on national identity, cross-strait relations and Taiwan’s political future, has long been a seemingly insurmountable barrier dividing the two parties and the public.
This rivalry has long been a source of enduring political tension and conflict, but the dynamic began to shift as the public grew increasingly alarmed at the abuses of power by China-aligned legislators and their undermining of Taiwan’s democratic system.
At the rally, 87-year-old retired major general Chiu Wei-pang (丘衛邦) — a respected figure and staunch anti-communist known for his lifelong loyalty to the ROC — took the stage to call for the recall of pro-China lawmakers, urging a political reckoning to protect the nation’s democratic integrity. Other figures, such as retired air force officer Hsu Pai-yueh (徐柏岳), known as Taiwan’s “Eagle Dad” (鷹爸), and fellow veterans also raised their hands in support. Their actions were especially significant given their unwavering loyalty to the KMT and the constitutional ROC framework — people who would never consider voting for the DPP.
For the first time, the rally brought together staunch ROC supporters and pro-Taiwan independence advocates — a rare moment of unity that generations of politicians have long sought, but failed to realize. It demonstrated that common ground can be found across the blue-green divide, whether one identifies with the ROC, ROC Taiwan or simply Taiwan.
As United Microelectronics Corp founder Robert Tsao (曹興誠) put it: “The blue KMT is anti-communist, and the green DPP protects Taiwan — thus, we should collaborate to fight the red Chinese Communist Party [CCP].”
Tsao’s words could not have been more pragmatic, as anti-communism and protecting Taiwan are at the core of what the KMT and the DPP were founded upon. Like two sides of the same coin, the blue and green camps can find common ground in their opposition to communism. For too long, Taiwan has been plagued by internal divisions, exacerbated by China’s ongoing cognitive warfare, distracting the public from the real threat posed by Beijing.
The April 19 rally showed that countering the CCP is the strongest foundation of a bipartisan consensus in Taiwanese society. It also showed that the public is capable of coming together in solidarity on this crucial issue. This unity is what would keep Taiwan beyond the clutches of China — and what democratic allies hope to see.
With firm resolve, it is time for the public to stand together in rooting out the Trojan horses within the legislature and to restore the KMT to its original blue identity, free from the influence of pro-Beijing members who have tinted it red.
US President Donald Trump created some consternation in Taiwan last week when he told a news conference that a successful trade deal with China would help with “unification.” Although the People’s Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan, Trump’s language struck a raw nerve in Taiwan given his open siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression seeking to “reunify” Ukraine and Russia. On earlier occasions, Trump has criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the US’ chip industry and for relying too much on the US for defense, ominously presaging a weakening of US support for Taiwan. However, further examination of Trump’s remarks in
As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) reach the point of confidence that they can start and win a war to destroy the democratic culture on Taiwan, any future decision to do so may likely be directly affected by the CCP’s ability to promote wars on the Korean Peninsula, in Europe, or, as most recently, on the Indian subcontinent. It stands to reason that the Trump Administration’s success early on May 10 to convince India and Pakistan to deescalate their four-day conventional military conflict, assessed to be close to a nuclear weapons exchange, also served to
It is being said every second day: The ongoing recall campaign in Taiwan — where citizens are trying to collect enough signatures to trigger re-elections for a number of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators — is orchestrated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), or even President William Lai (賴清德) himself. The KMT makes the claim, and foreign media and analysts repeat it. However, they never show any proof — because there is not any. It is alarming how easily academics, journalists and experts toss around claims that amount to accusing a democratic government of conspiracy — without a shred of evidence. These
China on May 23, 1951, imposed the so-called “17-Point Agreement” to formally annex Tibet. In March, China in its 18th White Paper misleadingly said it laid “firm foundations for the region’s human rights cause.” The agreement is invalid in international law, because it was signed under threat. Ngapo Ngawang Jigme, head of the Tibetan delegation sent to China for peace negotiations, was not authorized to sign the agreement on behalf of the Tibetan government and the delegation was made to sign it under duress. After seven decades, Tibet remains intact and there is global outpouring of sympathy for Tibetans. This realization