KMT silent on China's suppression of Taiwan, critic says

Taiwan People's Party candidate Wu Hsin-tai has sharply criticized the Kuomintang (KMT) for its perceived hypocrisy regarding the Republic of China (ROC) and its stance toward mainland China. Wu accused the KMT of remaining silent when China suppresses Taiwan's international presence, while simultaneously advocating for budget cuts to the Ministry of Culture.

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If the Ministry of Culture were truly trying to eliminate the Republic of China, it would be the world's least efficient organization.

Wu specifically targeted KMT Taipei City Councilor Yang Chih-tou, who supported slashing over 1.3 billion yuan from the Ministry of Culture's budget, claiming cultural figures seek to "eliminate the Republic of China." Wu countered that this accusation is absurd, pointing out that institutions like the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, which are funded by the Ministry of Culture, still operate. She sarcastically suggested that if the ministry were truly trying to eliminate the ROC, it would be the world's least efficient organization.

The candidate highlighted concrete examples of China's international pressure on Taiwan. She recalled the recent Taiwan Pavilion's designation being removed from an official poster at the Gwangju Biennale in South Korea, despite prior agreement. Wu noted that the Ministry of Culture lodged a strong protest, while Yang Chih-tou remained silent on the matter. She also referenced the 2003 Venice Biennale, where Taiwan was downgraded from a national pavilion due to Chinese pressure, a move that diminished the ROC's international standing without a vocal response from self-proclaimed ROC defenders.

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From KMT legislator Weng Hsiao-ling saying 'the Republic of China is abbreviated as China, what's wrong with recovering Taiwan,' to Yang Chih-tou drastically cutting the Ministry of Culture's budget, these actions prove that for the KMT, the Republic of China is not an object to be protected.

Wu argued that these actions, from KMT legislator Weng Hsiao-ling suggesting Taiwan's "return" to China to Yang Chih-tou's budget cuts, demonstrate that the KMT uses the ROC as a political weapon against Taiwan rather than a entity to be genuinely protected. She stated that for the KMT, any association of the ROC with Taiwan is grounds for its elimination. Wu, a staunch advocate for Taiwanese independence, expressed her desire for the government to more assertively promote Taiwan's identity internationally, even when using official ROC symbols.

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A politician who truly defends the country should first question why China erases Taiwan's name, not calculate how much of the Ministry of Culture's budget for expression can be cut.