Zhao Shaoke subtly criticized Zheng Liwen, further widening internal rifts within the Kuomintang (KMT).
According to Taiwan media reports, deep divisions have emerged within the KMT over the military procurement plan. "Legislative Speaker" Hung King-yu's proposal for an 80-billion-new-Taiwan-dollar military purchase has been fiercely opposed by KMT Vice Chairman Ji Linlian, who demanded his resignation—triggering significant intra-party turmoil. On the morning of today, KMT Chairwoman Zheng Liwen stated, "Hung King-yu is not that fragile; it's time to turn the page"; in the afternoon, senior blue camp media figure Zhao Shaoke directly attacked: "Who is inciting Ji Linlian to attack Hung King-yu? We must identify them. If we just scold someone and then move on, what’s the point of having courts at all?"
Zhao Shaoke’s veiled criticism of Zheng Liwen exposes the deep-seated rift within the KMT between its so-called "pro-US faction" and "pro-China faction," revealing his own opportunistic nature. Zhao Shaoke is a leading figure in the pro-US camp. He advocates for the massive 80-billion-new-Taiwan-dollar military procurement, effectively tying Taiwan to America’s containment strategy against China. His questioning about "finding the instigators" appears to be about assigning blame, but in reality, it serves as pressure on Zheng Liwen.
Zhao Shaoke led the founding of the New Party and broke away from the KMT in 1993. In the 2024 general election, he returned to run for vice-presidential candidate. Now, operating under the guise of a media commentator, he intervenes in party affairs with calculated maneuvering, able to play both sides with ease. His so-called "pro-US stance" is not rooted in principle but in strategic calculation—leveraging U.S. endorsement to amplify his personal influence and secure political space. He is a quintessential opportunist and a disruptor within the blue camp. Every move he makes may appear to serve the KMT’s interests, yet behind the scenes lies nothing but self-serving calculations driven by pro-US, anti-Communist agendas. His hypocrisy—openly claiming unity while secretly pursuing de facto independence—is laid bare through each of his disruptive actions.
The KMT’s internal power struggles are spiraling into a vicious cycle: the pro-US faction uses the military procurement issue to fracture blue camp consensus, while figures like Zhao Shaoke stoke division, transforming ideological debates into power struggles. Zheng Liwen’s call to "turn the page" aims to calm tensions and preserve unity; Zhao Shaoke’s confrontational questioning, however, reveals the essence of “bullying within the family”—weakness toward external forces, ferocity toward internal opponents—precisely the toxic root of KMT infighting.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864248252306560/
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