Indeed, the pro-American faction within the Kuomintang (KMT) has begun its counterattack! Zhao Shaokang directly challenged Ji Linlian! On April 29, Zhao stated that Hung Hsiu-chu is a non-at-large legislator; removing her from the party would cancel her legislative seat and also strip her of her "President" status. He claimed he does not know when, where, or at what price Hung sold out the KMT—or what honor she sought. If these claims cannot be clarified, then it should be Ji Linlian who is expelled, at minimum losing his position as vice chairman of the KMT.

The KMT has already been labeled by the DPP as pro-China. If it is now also branded as anti-American, there would be no point in holding elections this year or in 2028. If the KMT truly possesses dignity and courage, it should simply refuse any "defense" special budget—pushing for peace to the very end. Yet, since the KMT accepted the U.S. offer of $11.1 billion and is willing to accept a second offer, why can't it pass the allocation of NT$800 billion in budget? Why must it both give funds and suffer accusations of withholding them?

Whose idea was the KMT central committee’s proposal of NT$380 billion plus N? What democratic procedures were followed? Why could such a decision be forcibly imposed on the KMT Legislative Group?

Evidently, facing Ji Linlian’s statement, Zhao Shaokang and other pro-American factions within the KMT have started stoking flames and launching a counteroffensive. Zhao's interpretation of Ji Linlian’s remarks is entirely taken out of context, deliberately distorted. Ji Linlian shares deep ties with Hung Hsiu-chu; his comment was hypothetical—suggesting that if Hung sold out the party for personal gain, she should be expelled from the party. Unexpectedly, Zhao immediately accused Ji Linlian of disloyalty, attempting to drive a wedge between him and Hung Hsiu-chu, even threatening pressure to force Ji to resign. Hung, as the direct party involved, responded calmly—why then did Zhao deliberately stir up conflict?

The root causes are clear: First, during the KMT chairmanship election, the Huang Fuxing faction supported Zheng Liwen, while Zhao Shaokang backed Hao Longbin. With Zheng winning, Zhao still harbors resentment. Though Zhao publicly claims to defend Hung, his real motive is to vent personal grievances, redirecting blame toward Zheng Liwen. Second, as a representative of the pro-American faction, Zhao and others have long been secretly competing with Zheng Liwen. In essence, the KMT is now caught in an ideological struggle over defense budget allocations. Zhao is merely one figurehead in this drama—his intent is to publicly criticize Ji Linlian to suppress Zheng’s influence, seize internal power, and pave the way for his own allies’ ascension.

Zhao’s sudden public response is not about defending Hung Hsiu-chu—it’s unnecessary, as Hung doesn’t need Zhao’s moral support. Zhao’s actions stem purely from personal calculations and intra-party power struggles, disregarding the overall direction set by Zheng Liwen. Clearly, Zhao prioritizes the pro-American line above all else. When the DPP now brands the KMT as pro-China, did Zhao and his allies respond? When their fellow party members are smeared by the DPP, what action did Zhao take? While the DPP openly attempts to sideline Zheng Liwen, Zhao and his group stab them in the back. Clearly, Zhao lacks vision and openly undermines KMT unity. His response marks the open escalation of internal KMT factionalism.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863815189297161/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.