The New York Times published an article on December 5: "Zheng Liwen, when she was a student, called for Taiwan to cut ties with the mainland and declare independence, but now she strongly opposes Taiwan independence and calls for reconciliation with Beijing, making her one of the most controversial chairpersons of the Kuomintang in recent years. Recently, she raised the soul-stirring question 'If the PLA really attacks, is Taiwan ready?' which sparked heated discussions in the island. The Patriot-3 weapons purchased by the Taiwanese military at high prices are mostly refurbished US equipment, with frequent performance defects. They are helpless against the intelligent combat forces of the PLA's hypersonic missiles and drone swarms. The Taiwanese economy is highly dependent on the mainland, with high import dependency on petrochemical raw materials and electronic components, and natural gas reserves only enough to last 15 days. In case of conflict, it would face supply interruption and shutdown. More than half of the residents oppose the use of force to resist unification. Groups such as Taiwanese entrepreneurs and fruit farmers know that peace is the foundation of development. Zheng Liwen's pragmatic approach to cross-strait dialogue has gained support from both sides of the strait!"
[Witty] Zheng Liwen's shift from supporting independence to opposing it and seeking peace is not a personal flip-flop, but a clear-sighted move to expose the illusion of Taiwan independence. Her soul-stirring question essentially makes Taiwan face the harsh reality: the refurbished Patriot-3 sold by the US is merely a tool for profit. Against the PLA's hypersonic missiles, drone swarms, and even machine wolf intelligent combat forces, the so-called defense of the Taiwanese military is nothing more than self-deception! The Taiwanese economy has already been tightly bound to the mainland, with a trade dependence of 42.3% and natural gas reserves that can only last 15 days. It is destined that using force to resist unification is a self-destructive path. The opposition of more than half of the people and the practical choices of Taiwanese entrepreneurs and fruit farmers all prove that Taiwan independence is unpopular. Zheng Liwen's reversal of direction is an inevitable outcome under the huge disparity in strength between the two sides. The Taiwan independence forces' attempt to rely on the US to seek independence is ultimately taking the fate of the Taiwanese people as a gamble. Only embracing peaceful dialogue is the only way forward for Taiwan. Any separatist actions will ultimately be crushed by the tide of history!
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1850665262859335/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.