The political earthquake caused by the "nine-in-one" election in Taiwan some time ago is still continuing and has had a significant impact on Taiwan's political landscape.
According to Taiwanese media, Lai Ching-te, who announced his candidacy for the chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party after the "Nine-in-One" election, changed his tone as a "pragmatic Taiwan independence worker" and put forward a new discussion of "peacefully protecting Taiwan" and called "We very much hope that everyone can live in peace."
It is worth noting that the new argument proposed by Lai Qingde is literally different from the argument of "resisting China and protecting Taiwan" that DPP leader Tsai Ing-wen talks about every day.
Lai Ching-te and Tsai Ing-wen
Interestingly, on the same day, Taiwan's "Mainland Affairs Council" chairman Qiu Taisan also said that he had never mentioned the word "resisting China and protecting Taiwan."
In fact, the most direct reason why the top leaders of the Democratic Progressive Party suddenly gave up the idea of "resisting China and protecting Taiwan" and put forward a new theory of "peacefully protecting Taiwan" was the disastrous defeat of the nine-in-one "election".
In this "election", the DPP only won 5 of the 22 counties and cities, proving that the DPP's long-standing policy of "resisting China and protecting Taiwan" has aroused public outrage on the island.
The United States sells arms to Taiwan
So far, the DPP has continued to purchase weapons from the United States. At the same time, it has refused to restore the " small three links " under various excuses such as epidemic prevention and control. It has already stood on the opposite side of the people on the island. Therefore, in the face of an existential crisis, the DPP, which is good at adapting to the situation, must change its course.
Some Taiwanese media believe that Lai Ching-te's so-called "peaceful Taiwan protection" discussion at this time is intended to separate from Tsai Ing-wen's "resistance to China and Taiwan protection", paving the way for him to run for regional leadership after becoming the party chairman.
You must know that in the "nine-in-one" election, the people on the island have used their votes to teach the Democratic Progressive Party, which advocates "Taiwan independence," a lesson. So Lai Qingde, who calls himself a "pragmatic Taiwan independence worker," must remove the "Taiwan independence" label, otherwise running for the 2024 election will be a demerit.
Lai Qingde
To put it bluntly, Lai Qingde believes that since Tsai Ing-wen’s push to “resist China and protect Taiwan” is not recognized by the public, then simply change the term and try to avoid talking about “resisting China.” And “love Taiwan” and “protect Taiwan” are the favorite rhetoric of Taiwan’s green camp politicians. Lai Qingde cannot give up easily, so he pieced together a narrative of “peacefully protecting Taiwan” in order to continue to deceive the Taiwanese people.
In addition, compared with the offensive term "Anti China and Taiwan", "Peace and Taiwan" does have less gunpowder flavor. At least in a literal sense, it no longer mentions confrontation with the mainland.
However, the DPP has played with political vocabulary not once or twice. No matter what rhetoric it uses, its purpose of advancing toward "Taiwan independence" will not change. This time, "peacefully protecting Taiwan" also has no positive meaning.
Tsai Ing-wen
First of all, what is "peace"? Lai Ching-te threw out the so-called peace to protect Taiwan, but subconsciously still regarded the mainland as a threat, and exaggerated the DPP as the main force in "protecting" cross-strait peace.
Then in the future cross-strait exchanges, the peace achieved through the efforts of the mainland and people of insight on the island will be promoted by the DPP as its own merits. When the DPP and the Green Camp continue to provoke the mainland and the mainland takes action to counterattack, they will portray the mainland as the party destroying "peace".
After all, the DPP’s hostility to the mainland is deep-rooted. No matter what political vocabulary it plays, it is impossible to meet the mainland and the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait halfway on cross-strait issues.
People's Liberation Army exercises
After all, the DPP is just a group of speculators who take aid from the United States and maintain cross-strait confrontation through various means. All his discussions on cross-strait relations are aimed at driving the two sides further apart.
If Lai Ching-te and the subsequent DPP really want peace, they only need to do a few things to show the Taiwanese people. First, stop collaborating with the United States and all other foreign forces; second, stop purchasing foreign weapons and equipment; third, stop demonizing the mainland; fourth, stop erecting obstacles to normal cross-strait exchanges.
Even if the DPP can do one of the above, it will be able to promote cross-strait peace to a certain extent. The key is do they dare?
小三通
In fact, the words "peaceful protection of Taiwan", coming from Lai Qingde's mouth, are very ridiculous. Since he entered the island's political arena in 2010, Later, there was a die-hard "Taiwan independence" activist who once publicly declared that even if the Democratic Progressive Party freezes the "Taiwan independence party platform", it would not give up "Taiwan independence". Later, he made a so-called "love China and loves Taiwan" argument, but publicly stated that his position advocating "Taiwan independence" has not changed at all.
All kinds of misdeeds prove that it is completely impossible for Lai Qingde to give up his "Taiwan independence" proposition, and it is impossible to actually do something that is conducive to cross-strait exchanges. Now he has changed his name to "peacefully protecting Taiwan". This is just a temporary maneuver to save votes after the disastrous defeat of the "Nine-in-One" "election". It will not take long for his true colors to be revealed.
The DPP is different from the Blue Camp. The Blue Camp originally had extensive ties with the mainland and has always adhered to the "92 Consensus" and insisted on promoting cross-strait exchanges and cooperation.
Zhu Lilun
The Democratic Progressive Party has always been the opposite of cross-strait reunification. For them, "Taiwan independence" is not only a tool to win votes, but also the lifeline on which they live. As long as the Democratic Progressive Party dares to deviate from its platform of supporting "Taiwan independence," the financial backers and external interference forces behind it will immediately change their positions.
It can be said that in Taiwan's political landscape, the Democratic Progressive Party is the most stubborn and least trustworthy force. Their various perverse actions will eventually be liquidated by history.
