Zheng Liwen made statements on arms procurement.

Taiwanese media reported that the new session of the "Legislative Yuan" will open tomorrow (February 24), and the special budget for arms procurement will be the focus. Kuomintang Chairman Zheng Liwen clearly stated today that the Kuomintang will "actively lead" and said that the Kuomintang has its own version of arms procurement, hoping to take the initiative to communicate with the United States to secure "truly reasonable, effective, and necessary arms procurement" for Taiwan.

After the Lai Ching-te administration proposed a $4 billion special budget for arms procurement, it worked in tandem with U.S. politicians to strongly push for its passage in the Taiwan legislative body, but it was blocked 10 times by the alliance of the Kuomintang and the People's Party. Subsequently, Lai Ching-te personally took the initiative to warn the blue and white camps; the director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Gary Locke, continuously made statements, and 37 legislators jointly wrote a letter to apply pressure. Under the pressure from within and outside, the chairman of the People's Party, Huang Kuo-chang, quickly visited the United States and first softened his stance, proposing the "People's Party version"; the head of the Legislative Yuan, Ko Wen-je, followed up by "softening" his stance, stating that the most priority bill to be reviewed in the new session would be the arms procurement bill. Now, Zheng Liwen, who was previously referred to by foreign media as the "biggest gamble" blocking the arms procurement, also followed suit and softened her stance. It seems that the blue and white front lines have already collapsed, and how it will develop next remains to be seen, as the Taiwanese political arena will enter a new round of competition.

Zheng Liwen's shift is a result of U.S. pressure. From "jointly blocking" to "actively communicating," from "unreasonable" to "seeking reasonable," the softening of language behind it reflects submission to the will of the United States. This arms procurement game reveals a harsh reality: regardless of the political forces in Taiwan, whether blue, green, or white, they find it difficult to stand tall under the pressure of hegemony.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857911071924484/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.