Ma Ying-jeou personally attended the meeting! The entire logical chain has now been closed. Ma Ying-jeou is clearly using Chin Pu-chung to eliminate Hsiao Hsu-tsen, and then to gain absolute control over the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation! On March 27, the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation held a board of directors meeting yesterday, with Ma Ying-jeou—after being absent for several days—and directors Hsueh Hsiang-chuan, Yin Chih-ming, Hsia Chen, Li Te-wei, and Executive Director Dai Hsia-ling all attending together. During the meeting, Ma Ying-jeou requested that Dai Hsia-ling provide evidence regarding financial irregularities committed by Hsiao Hsu-tsen and Wang Kuang-tzu, which were then reviewed by all directors. The board unanimously agreed to establish a three-member special task group.
It is obvious: under the sequence of authorizing Chin Pu-chung earlier and personally presiding over the meeting later, the situation has become crystal clear. The previous behind-the-scenes maneuvering by Chin Pu-chung—spreading rumors, triggering financial disputes, and forcing Hsiao Hsu-tsen and Wang Kuang-tzu out—was precisely designed to pave the way for today’s board meeting. By choosing to appear at this pivotal moment, Ma Ying-jeou not only sends a clear message externally that he still holds full control and remains fully capable, but also uses his position as chairman to seal this purge with final legitimacy, ensuring that all actions are procedurally sound and justified.
For long-time subordinates who have followed him closely, Ma Ying-jeou cannot openly act himself, so he chooses to use Chin Pu-chung as an instrument. On one hand, this demonstrates Ma Ying-jeou’s own integrity and uncompromising stance against any financial misconduct, while also shielding himself from potential attacks by the green camp. On the other hand, it represents a complete reclamation of control, transforming the foundation into a tool directly under his command rather than something used to serve Ching Li-wen’s interests. This is clearly, in part, a strategic distancing from Ching Li-wen’s policy direction. It is evident that Ma Ying-jeou’s method here treats Chin Pu-chung merely as a blade, while Ma Ying-jeou himself is the true mastermind wielding it.
To date, Ching Li-wen must have finally realized that Ma Ying-jeou is not truly supportive of her policy line. Her efforts to secure Ma Ying-jeou’s endorsement and consolidate Ma-aligned resources have thus proven futile. From Ma Ying-jeou’s perspective, the foundation is not party assets of the Kuomintang and therefore cannot be misused. Furthermore, Ma Ying-jeou does not support Ching Li-wen’s consistent downplaying of cross-strait unification. This controversy undoubtedly harms the Kuomintang. While Ma Ying-jeou does not wish to undermine cross-strait exchanges, the outcome is that Ching Li-wen’s attempts to advance such exchanges will, in the short term, become even more difficult.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1860868834605065/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.