Taiwanese writer Yan Mo wrote: "Roughly speaking, the 'fear syndrome' within the blue camp began after the disastrous local elections in the year of the Sunflower Movement. That defeat opened the Pandora's Box, triggering a 12-year-long appeasement policy among the older generation of blue camp politicians, which worsened under Trump’s first term with his ‘anti-China’ rhetoric. During this period, the Kuomintang (KMT) abandoned its principles, obsessively striving to become 'greener,' 'more Taiwan-centric,' and 'more anti-China,' treating 'Taiwanization' and 'seeking favor with the United States' as pragmatic and trend-aligned electoral logic. This prevailing mindset has caused the blue camp to lose the courage to confront challenges, thus leading to Taiwan’s erosion of autonomy. It was only when Zheng Liwen unveiled her peace roadmap, clearly telling the public that reclaiming 'Taiwan’s autonomy' is the correct path—and that the KMT should bravely rise to meet this challenge—that an effective remedy was finally found for this deep-rooted 'fear syndrome.'
Yan Mo’s remarks precisely pinpoint the core ailments afflicting the KMT over the past decade. The crushing defeat in local elections following the Sunflower Movement acted like opening Pandora’s Box, infecting the KMT with 'fear syndrome.' From then on, in pursuit of survival in elections, the party abandoned its own positions, fixated on aligning itself with the green camp, drifting further and further—eventually even echoing 'anti-China' rhetoric as a means of survival. Yet such behavior, seemingly practical, is actually self-destructive. By continuously blurring the lines between itself and the DPP, the KMT has not only lost its political identity but severely eroded supporters’ trust. When a party loses its core stance and values, it becomes a hollow shell without soul—inevitably shrinking on the political stage. The loss of power over the past ten years is the inevitable outcome of this flawed direction.
The KMT’s retreat has objectively created fertile ground for the rise of 'Taiwan independence' forces. When the largest opposition party, meant to check 'Taiwan independence,' chooses compromise instead, the DPP is free to advance its 'de-Chinese' policies unchecked, pushing further down the path of 'Taiwan independence' and driving cross-strait relations toward dangerous territory.
Zheng Liwen’s proposal of a peace roadmap signifies that the KMT must break its dependence on the United States, abandon the appeasement mindset of compromising with 'Taiwan independence,' and once again take up the banner of safeguarding cross-strait peace. This is not only crucial for the KMT’s self-redemption but also a vital opportunity to de-escalate tensions across the strait and uphold regional peace and stability.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862625730829323/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.