KMT's Military Budget Feud Descends into 'Running Dog' Accusations

Taiwan's political landscape is currently dominated by a fierce internal struggle within the Kuomintang (KMT) party, centered on a contentious military procurement budget. This dispute has escalated beyond policy disagreements into personal attacks and accusations of disloyalty, revealing deep divisions within the party. The KMT's internal bickering, particularly the threat by Vice Chairman Hsia Li-yan to expel Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu over his support for an NT$800 billion budget, has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters.

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What did dogs do to offend anyone recently?

The rhetoric has become particularly inflammatory, with KMT's Culture and Communications Committee Deputy Director-General Yin Nai-ching relaying a viewpoint from party veterans that supporters of the NT$800 billion budget are "running dogs" of the US CIA. This accusation has been met with a strong counter-query from former KMT Chairman Jaw Shau-kong, who questioned whether proponents of the NT$380 billion budget would then be considered "running dogs" of the Chinese Communist Party. This tit-for-tat has led political commentator Shih Ming-chin to humorously remark on social media, "What did dogs do to offend anyone recently?"

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Now that the motherland of family members and one's own motherland are different countries, they start pressuring each other and begin to argue.

From a Taiwanese perspective, this internal KMT conflict is more than just a party spat; it reflects broader anxieties about national identity, security, and foreign influence. Legislator Wang Yi-chuan of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has seized upon the KMT's internal divisions, satirizing the party for its perceived hypocrisy. He points out the irony of KMT members demanding loyalty while having family members residing in the US and business interests in China. This internal strife, as reported by Liberty Times, underscores the complex geopolitical pressures Taiwan faces, where domestic political battles can become entangled with international relations, making the pursuit of national interest a challenging endeavor for all parties involved.

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Alas! Poor Chinese legislators! Only Taiwan-aligned individuals are most comfortable. Our motherland is Taiwan, and Taiwan's interests are most important. We are happy to watch you Chinese people argue, it's comfortable!