UDN, the rabidly pro-KMT paper, reports on the story of KMT mayors being invited to a forum in China.
新竹、苗栗、南投、花蓮、金門等國民黨和無黨籍縣市正副首長共8人，16日將應中國國台辦之邀，赴中國參訪，研擬爭取陸客來台到「有九二共識」的縣市觀光旅遊。代表新北市赴陸的副市長葉惠青接到記者詢問，態度十分低調，強調此行主要是看到了民間產業的需求，為民間服務，「每一個市場都要爭取」。KMT and "independent" Mayors of Hsinchu, Miaoli, Nantou, Hualien, Kinmen, and two other places, a total of eight people are heading off to China. These represent, according to the article, the "1992 Consensus areas". LOL.
No DPP mayors are invited.
Here's a double stupidity. First, China makes it impossible to separate the KMT from China, so it can't Taiwanize. Indeed, China might be sophisticated enough to realize that is a possibility, and so it continues to sink hooks into the KMT to make sure it can't put distance between the two. But I kinda doubt China is that sharp. So now every voter in Taiwan is reminded of who the KMT is sleeping with.
I've noted this before: once again, by being inflexible, China has given up an opportunity to subvert DPP mayors and to talk to DPP constituents, and to look diplomatic and reasonable.
And then there's the KMT. If you were a smart politician in a contested region, you might consider not going, to put some distance between you and the CCP. Eric Chu, as head of New Taipei City, is an invitee, and New Taipei City will be hotly contested in 2018 (now less than 1.5 years away). What will he do? I'd beg off, if I were him.
Meanwhile, in Japan, the new Democratic party head is a half-Taiwanese who is very aware of her links to Taiwan. This is good for Taiwan.
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It really boils down to the fundamental issue of national identity. The pan Blues simply see themselves as Chinese and part of China. Therefore, flying over to China to formulate strategies with China makes a lot of sense. There should be nothing surprising about this.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that there's still a sizable group within Taiwan that self identifies with a foreign country is why Tsai needs to be careful and cautious during this transitional period.
Taiwan does not have the ability to rectify its name and proclaim its independence until its internal enemies are throughly minimized and powerless. That'll still take some time...