The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) mobilization order for a May 19 vote to impeach President William Lai (賴清德) is aimed at creating an impression of domestic instability to benefit Beijing ahead of next month’s US-China summit, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said yesterday.
KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) issued the order on Monday, departing from the party’s usual practice of issuing such directives about a week in advance, Lin said.
An impeachment motion requires the support of two-thirds of the legislature, so even with the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party teaming up for the vote, the opposition would fall short, Lin said.
Photo: CNA
Lin pointed to the timing of the planned vote, which comes days after reports that US President Donald Trump would visit China and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on May 14 and 15.
Taiwan is expected to be a key topic at the meeting, and Beijing’s strategy extends beyond military and economic pressure to include shaping narratives, Lin said.
If Taiwan appears divided ahead of the meeting, Beijing could frame the situation as internal instability rather than external pressure, he said.
Heightened internal discord would make it more difficult for the international community to respond, Lin said, adding that greater international attention to Taiwan’s situation would enhance its security.
The impeachment effort is less about securing votes than about shaping perceptions over time, he said.
The early announcement gives Beijing an opportunity to leverage perceived divisions, he said.
Separately, DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said she had never seen a top-level mobilization order issued a month in advance.
If the KMT devoted as much effort to reviewing the national budget as it does to political maneuvering, the nation would benefit, she said.
Taiwan has yet to see concrete benefits from the 10 policy incentives announced by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office following KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) meeting with Xi last week, but is already seeing attempts to sow division, Wu said.
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