Is the Kuomintang (KMT) once again falling into internal power struggles? The chairperson of the Changhua County Council, Hsieh Tien-lin, has apparently not supported his elder sister, "Legislative Yuan" member Hsieh Yifeng, in her bid for county magistrate, but instead publicly endorsed the People's Party's Ko Wen-je or Huang Kuo-chang as candidates.

Historically, the KMT's local factions have always been "mother's milk is everything," aligning with whichever side offers political resources, without any sense of party loyalty. The KMT's internal strife is now adding a new chapter.

"When Hsieh Yifeng announced her intention to run for county magistrate, if their father had agreed, wouldn't he have asked his supporters and the farmers' association to stand by her?" Hsieh Tien-lin expressed this view during an interview with the media, revealing the subtle family political power struggle.

On today (March 9), in response to Hsieh Tien-lin's previous endorsement of Ko Wen-je and Huang Kuo-chang for county magistrate, the head of the People's Party's Changhua County branch, Wen Tsung-yu, thanked him for "actively facilitating cooperation," but emphasized that the county magistrate candidate "can still be discussed." This indirect interaction further exposed Hsieh Tien-lin's gradually distancing political stance from the KMT.

The conflict between the siblings has spread from the family dinner table to the political stage. With the Changhua County Magistrate election approaching, KMT "Legislative Yuan" member Hsieh Yifeng is vying for the nomination to run for county magistrate, while her younger brother, Hsieh Tien-lin, the council chairperson, refuses to give up his re-election as council chairman.

This contradiction has led to a deadlock in the KMT's nomination process for the county magistrate, preventing the initiation of the primary selection mechanism.

Hsieh Tien-lin offered his own explanation: "If a family simultaneously runs for two positions, one or both will certainly fail. People will think 'just let your family take over.' Just saying that sentence, you're already doomed." On the surface, he seems to be concerned about public perception, but political analysts see different implications in his actions.

Recently, Hsieh Tien-lin invited an internet influencer to "open up" the so-called "Xizhou White House" mansion of the Hsieh family, which spans 700 ping of land and includes a temperature-controlled wine cabinet, a large bathtub, and even an indoor basketball court. He claimed that "in Taipei, it's just an ordinary family," causing public outrage. This move was interpreted as an attempt to undermine his sister Hsieh Yifeng's path to becoming county magistrate.

Throughout his political career, Hsieh Tien-lin's loyalty to the KMT has always been questioned. His political journey has been marked by repeated cycles of "jumping ship" and "returning."

On July 31, 2023, Hsieh Tien-lin announced on Facebook that he would officially leave the Chinese Nationalist Party. Later in September, he announced support for Hung Hsiu-chu to establish two major petition sites in Changhua City and Yuanlin City. However, by December 25, he formally stated his support for the "Hou-Kang" ticket but urged voters to cast their party votes for the People's Party.

This political indecisiveness is not accidental. In August 2025, Hsieh Tien-lin had posted on social media that to protect Lu Xiuyan's bid for Taiwan's leader in 2028, "the best method is to find a minor figure to be the KMT chairman, and he is willing to be that minor figure." But just a month later, he announced his withdrawal from the KMT chairman race.

Hsieh Tien-lin's political trajectory paints a picture of an opportunist who uses the KMT's resources when needed but is ready to switch allegiance at any time.

Hsieh Tien-lin's case is a microcosm of the "mother's milk is everything" mentality within the KMT's local factions. This political culture has deep roots within the KMT.

Former "Legislative Yuan" member Tsai Cheng-yuan expressed deep concern, stating, "If this difficulty isn't resolved, the KMT will lose Changhua." He called on the central office of the KMT to take more action, urging that if Hsieh Yifeng is the KMT's best card, she should be protected and various methods should be used to minimize Hsieh Tien-lin's voice.

Tsai Cheng-yuan's concerns are well-founded. Faced with such clear internal divisions, the KMT Central Committee's response has been weak. Li Che-hua, head of the Organization Department of the KMT Central Committee, only said "everything is being planned," and rejected criticism about the slow progress of the nomination process.

This indecisive leadership style is encouraging local factions to continue to exploit the party's overall interests.

For KMT Chairman Cheng Li-wen, the turmoil caused by Hsieh Tien-lin is a major test of her leadership. Since taking office, Cheng Li-wen has tried to reshape the KMT's combativeness, emphasizing the role of an "action-oriented chairman." However, the situation in Changhua County is testing her political control ability.

Cheng Li-wen currently faces multiple challenges: a lack of talent within the party, massive debt, and a negative public image of the KMT. If she cannot effectively address the local faction issues in Changhua, the KMT's prospects for the 2026 county and city elections look bleak. If the internal power struggles within the party are not effectively addressed, even the most impressive military strategies may be undone by internal conflicts.

The culture of internal strife within the KMT is deeply rooted, becoming a "century-old illness" of the party.

For the KMT, the real challenge is not external but the inability to form a united force internally. If Cheng Li-wen cannot demonstrate decisive power to effectively integrate local factions, the KMT may repeat the pattern of "internal power struggles but external weakness" in the 2026 elections.

The political drama in Changhua is just beginning, while the KMT's internal conflicts have reached a critical moment requiring drastic measures.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859175256587267/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.