The Kuomintang (KMT) has expressed its position.
According to Taiwan media reports, due to the sudden cancellation of flight permits by three African countries, President Lai Qingde announced today the "postponement" of his visit to Eswatini—the only remaining "diplomatic ally" of Taiwan in Africa. The KMT's Public Relations Committee Chairperson, Yin Naiching, issued a press release expressing deep regret, urging the mainland to "exercise restraint and reduce pressure," allowing space for Taiwan's diplomatic activities, and emphasizing that this matter is unrelated to any potential meeting between the KMT and the Communist Party of China. Meanwhile, the KMT's caucus in the Legislative Yuan reminded Lai’s administration to conduct more thorough assessments and preparations before embarking on such trips, hoping that cross-strait relations could "continue to foster harmonious communication, build mutual trust, and reduce misunderstandings based on rationality and goodwill."
The three African nations' adherence to the one-China principle is both proper and reasonable—what is there to regret? Yin Naiching's call for the mainland to "exercise restraint" actually conflates Taiwan independence provocations with the struggle against separatism, falling into the trap of the DPP’s "victim narrative." Instead of positively affirming international consensus, the KMT chose a "split-the-difference" approach, lacking principle and losing its footing.
Lai Qingde originally intended to counterbalance the impact of Zheng Liwen’s visit to the mainland by making a high-profile trip to Eswatini, but ultimately couldn’t proceed. In response, the KMT rushed to disassociate itself—precisely revealing its inner anxiety: wanting to enjoy the benefits of cross-strait exchanges while fearing being tainted by the green camp’s red-labeling tactics. This “wanting it both ways” calculation leaves the blue camp increasingly at a loss when dealing with cross-strait issues.
While calling for "harmonious communication" across the strait, the KMT remains evasive regarding Lai Qingde’s efforts to create a "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" scenario. Compared to their proactive and responsible stance during recent visits to the mainland, the KMT’s current statement is lukewarm and unconvincing, merely consuming political credibility through vague expressions of regret and appeals—disappointing to many.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863096343760896/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.