The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) approach toward the US has undergone a shift under the leadership of Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), publicly evolving into a stance that is “pro-China, skeptical of the US and no longer anti-communist,” an academic said yesterday.
Cheng has expressed hopes of meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in the first half of this year and KMT Vice Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) drew controversy with remarks disparaging American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene, saying Greene’s position was “only a little higher than a section chief.”
National Taiwan University political science professor Chen Shih-min (陳世民) said yesterday that former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), during his tenure as KMT chairman, promoted a policy line of “peace with China, friendship with Japan and closeness to the US.”
The same framework was maintained by former KMT chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) and was echoed by former KMT deputy chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) during his campaign for the party leadership last year, Chen said.
“However, Cheng has so far not uttered the words ‘pro-US’ at all,” Chen said.
Chen said that Ma consistently placed “closeness to the US” as a top priority, whereas the current KMT leadership no longer even mentions the concept.
Cheng, elected party chair October last year, said in her victory speech that the KMT would ensure Taiwan does not become a “geopolitical pawn,” a remark Chen said was aimed at the US
Chen said that Cheng during her earlier career as a political commentator has long advocated views aligned with so-called “US skepticism.”
While Cheng would not label herself as such, her past statements and positions reflect that tendency, he said, adding that the party’s vice chairpersons share similar views.
Chen added that Cheng, meanwhile, has not mentioned opposition to communism since assuming the party leadership.
“The KMT’s party charter explicitly states opposition to communism,” Chen said. “Cheng’s failure to reiterate this principle, combined with her appointments of figures such as Hsiao and other aides who are widely seen as pro-China, clearly signals a shift.”
Separately yesterday, a senior KMT official warned that recent comments by party figures targeting Greene have left party members and the public deeply perplexed.
The party official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the AIT director effectively serves as the US ambassador to Taiwan, representing the US government as a whole, adding that emphasizing his bureaucratic rank within the US Department of State was disrespectful.
The KMT has historically sought a balanced approach toward the US and China to win broad public support, particularly ahead of the year-end local elections, they said, adding that with cross-strait relations being a sensitive issue for voters, returning to a more stable and balanced path would best serve the party’s interests.
Additional reporting by Lin Hsin-han
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