Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday accused a US think tank of being “in cooperation with the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) rumormongering” following its claim that she echoes the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) narrative.
A recent report by the US-based Institute for the Study of War said Cheng’s comments during China’s “Justice Mission 2025” military exercises “echo CCP narratives,” adding that the CCP benefits from the spread of such narratives within Taiwan to undermine the legitimacy of President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration.
Cheng criticized the report’s claim, saying that it is “in coordination with the DPP’s rumormongering supply chain.”
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Time
She also took aim at Lai, who is chairman of the DPP.
“Lai should focus on being president of the Republic of China, rather than constantly resorting to unnecessary internal political confrontation, which does nothing to resist China or safeguard Taiwan,” she said.
During the military exercise, which took place on Monday and Tuesday last week, Lai’s national security team did not propose any effective measures to protect Taiwan, she said.
“The source of your national security crisis is your mistaken cross-strait policy, not the KMT,” she said, addressing Lai.
“Since President Lai has said he would not declare independence, if the DPP removes its pro-independence party platform and embraces the ‘1992 consensus,’ cross-strait relations would immediately turn springlike,” Cheng said.
The “1992 consensus” — a term that former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the CCP that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
The DPP has never acknowledged the “1992 consensus,” saying that Beijing does not recognize the Republic of China and its acceptance would imply agreement with China’s claim over Taiwan.
“Taiwan’s 23 million people overwhelmingly do not want the flames of war to erupt in the Taiwan Strait,” she said. “Lai should reassess the situation, rethink Taiwan’s strategy and readjust how Taiwan can effectively defend itself to create peaceful and stable cross-strait relations, which would be a test of his leadership and wisdom.”
DPP spokesman Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城) yesterday lambasted Cheng for criticizing Lai during China’s military exercise last week, while failing to condemn Beijing for the drills, which “endangered people’s lives and property.”
During the exercises, opposition parties for the fifth time blocked review of a NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special arms procurement bill in the Legislative Yuan’s Procedure Committee, Lee said.
The opposition also passed censure motions against Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) when the DPP proposed a motion to condemn China’s drills, he added.
“What the opposition did was to weaken Taiwan’s sovereignty and security while echoing China’s claims that Taiwan is the provocateur and that China’s drills are about maintaining order,” he said. “No wonder a US think tank identified Cheng’s remarks during the exercises as echoing CCP narratives.”
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