KMT Internal Troubles Episode #11578

Lining up at a famous traditional tofu pudding place in Tianzhong.

A few months have passed, so it's once more time for another episode of KMT Internal Struggles. This week's installment was chronicled in the Taipei Times.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) spokesman Yin Wei (殷瑋) yesterday downplayed controversial remarks by Sean Lien (連勝文), son of former vice president Lien Chan (連戰), saying that while they may be well-intentioned, some could be misinterpreted.

Yin was referring to comments by Sean Lien on Saturday that the majority of Taiwanese, except for those who are politically oriented, could not care less about who will run for Taipei mayor in the seven-in-one elections in 2014 and that whoever is elected in the midst of a sluggish domestic economy “could be, at the very most, the master of a beggar clan.”

Sean Lien, who doubles as the deputy director of the Taipei City Government’s Economic Development Commission, also called on the government to prioritize propping up the lackluster domestic economy.

The internal bickering is over the Taipei mayoral position. Despite Lien's sneering comments, the position of mayor of Taipei is immensely powerful and is generally seen as a stepping-stone to the Presidency. The Taipei Times editorialized that 'the sneers spelled trouble'...

At the meetings of the party’s Central Committee and Central Advisory Committee, all statements and propositions seemed to be directed at public policy issues such as the capital gains tax on securities transactions and the retirement pensions issue. However, these are some of the policies of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration, so when Central Committee members and members of the Central Advisory Committee discussed these policies, they were in fact ambushing Ma.

One of the speakers, William Hsu (徐弘庭), the Central Committee member suggesting the implementation of the capital gains tax be delayed, is special assistant to Sean Lien (連勝文), the son of former vice president Lien Chan (連戰). The implications are self-evident. Neither of the two Liens attended the Central Committee meeting, but while attending an Aboriginal activity, Sean Lien said that if the economy does not improve, we will all be beggars regardless of who is elected. This was clearly not appreciated by party leadership.

Furthermore, senior advisor to the president Chao Shou-po (趙守博), who reviewed the pension system, has long been an important associate of Lien Chan, and before the meeting, Chen Keng-chin (陳庚金), another old Lien associate, criticized Ma’s use of people. It is clear that the Lien family are finding it impossible to hide their dissatisfaction with how Ma is running things.

Another former party leader, Wu Po-hsiung (吳伯雄), said that observers were criticizing Ma for picking his appointments from too narrow a group of people and that this had caused some people supporting the KMT to leave the party. Although he avoided criticizing Ma directly, everyone got the hint: Wu’s faction within the KMT is also dissatisfied with Ma’s performance.

What it boils down to is simple: the criticism from the Lien family and its hangers-on, and former Chairman Wu Po-hsiung, simply reflects old fault lines in the Party. Ma's strongest support isn't from Party mainlander elites and other core members, from the rank and file who originally saw him as new blood that would reinvigorate the Party. When Ma first ran for Chair many years ago, Party elites supported his onetime rival Wang Jyn-ping, currently Legislative Speaker. It was the rank and file who got Ma into power. There's nothing new going on; sometimes when the Party is under stress, these structural fault-lines are revealed. Perhaps the complaints about Ma's appointments merely indicate anger that Ma has not appointed enough people from among those factions.

The editorial claimed that "the opposition between Ma and senior leaders is now out in the open." Actually, it's been this way the whole of Ma's service as President. Accusations of being out of touch, and appointing only from a narrow spectrum of people, are nothing new. Nor is criticism from other party heavyweights. There's nothing permanent here, no change or evolution indicated, and the KMT, with all that cash, isn't at risk of falling apart or splitting.
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Daily Links:

• Consumer prices are now so high that the government is handing out tax relief.
• Under the Radar News from Project 2049
• Takao Seaplane Base, 1944
• Ten Drum Cultural Village, Tainan

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[Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums! Delenda est, baby.

This Restaurant Doesn't Serve Chinese Tourists and Taiwanese Traitors

The Liberty Times today hosted an interesting article on a Kaohsiung restaurant that doesn't serve anyone from China, or Taiwanese traitors.....[Quickie translation, let me know if there are any errors]....

國民黨主席吳伯雄的「島內」風波，被民進黨立委引用網路笑話為「無脖熊」；高雄一家餐廳也有「背骨無脖熊」這道菜，這兩天點的人很多，超過原本最熱賣的「露出馬腳」（諷馬英九），業者劉明松與吳都是客家人，要吳硬頸說清楚，別再硬拗了。

The storm over KMT Chairman Wu Po-hsiung's reference to "within the island" [while in China] resulted in him being jokingly called 「無脖熊」 (neckless bear, a play on his name). In Kaohsiung a restaurant has a dish called "backbone neckless bear" ordered by many customers in the last two days, even surpassing the previous hot dish 「露出馬腳」, (which pokes fun at Ma Ying-jeou). Like Wu himself, owner Liu Ming-sung is a Hakka. He wants Wu to stick his neck out and speak clearly, instead of always speaking out of both sides of his mouth.

事實上，高雄紅瓦厝餐廳的「國共賣台特餐」，早就有一道菜叫「無脖熊」，是以橙花排骨製成，諷刺吳伯雄「背骨」。老闆劉明松說，這兩天「無脖熊」的點餐率相當高，一些客人邊點菜、邊酸吳伯雄。

In reality, Kaohsiung's Red Roofing Tile House restaurant specialty "KMT-CCP Sell Out Taiwan Special Meal" already had a dish entitled Neckless Bear, [a kind of sweet and sour rib dish], making fun of Wu Po-hsiung's "spine" [a pun on selling out Taiwan]. Boss Liu says "The last couple of days orders for Neckless Bear have been heavy, with some customers ordering the dish on one hand and giving Wu a tongue-lashing on the other."

「國共賣台特餐」的招牌菜，是嘲諷馬英九的「露出馬腳」（滷豬腳），其餘包括「連戰連敗蝦」、「清蒸宋楚魚」等三十幾道菜餚，菜名令人莞爾。

In addition to its famous dish, the "KMT-CCP Sell Out Taiwan Special Meal", the restaurant makes fun of Ma Ying-jeou with 「露出馬腳」 (stewed pig's feet), and also offers the "Lien Chan Keep Losing Shrimp", "Steamed Soong Chu-yu Fish" and more than thirty similar dishes. The names of the dishes make people laugh.

紅瓦厝是家不接待中國顧客的餐廳，餐廳外醒目的標語寫著「拒絕招待中國人及台奸」，經常有載著中國觀光團的遊覽車到此拍照，上個月還有三桌中國客不信邪進入，點菜時被劉明松發現，通通請出去。

Red Roofing Tile House restaurant does not serve visitors from China. On the outside of the restaurant is a big sign that says "We Refuse to Serve Chinese and Taiwanese Traitors". Buses carrying Chinese tourist groups regularly stop here to take photos. Last month three tables worth of Chinese tourists who refused to believe this statement went inside. When they were ordering, Liu Ming-sung found out who they were, and threw them all out of his restaurant.

劉明松強調，他和吳伯雄都是客家人，對於吳的作風，他長期看在眼裡；這次吳在中國的肉麻言行，他一點都不訝異。

Liu Ming-sung stressed that even though he and Wu were both Hakkas, he has been watching Wu's style for a long time, and was not surprised at all by Wu's disgusting behavior.

專程來吃「無脖熊」的陳先生罵說，「島內」這個詞聽到就讓人反感，如果台灣是島內，那馬英九豈不是島主？國民黨人士屢次在中國降格以求，民眾真的看不下去。

A Mr. Chen, making a special trip to eat the Neckless Bear dish, said that the term "within the island" filled him with disgust. If on Taiwan is "within the island", than Ma Ying-jeou is merely the island's Boss. KMT officials have lowered themselves to beg the Chinese for favors several times, said Mr. Chen, and people can't stand seeing that.

I'll be making my reservation there soon!

UPDATE: Lively discussion in the comments below.
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[Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums!

Is Ma a puppet?

The old Japanese agricultural research station in Tainan, in use until recently.

There's nothing like the yawning political abyss that the KMT is dropping Taiwan into accompanied by gray skies and the pitt-pitt-pitt of steadily falling rain every day. It's more demoralizing than being called stupid by Sharon Stone.

The Taipei Times had an excellent editorial today about the ridiculous comments of Wu Po-hsiung and the increasing perception that the party-to-party negotiations between the two Leninist Chinese parties over the fate of Taiwan have made a puppet of newly-minted President Ma Ying-jeou:

As the Democratic Progressive Party has rightly pointed out, the KMT has shown impatience in starting negotiations with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and done so in a manner that could compromise this country’s sovereignty. The lack of accountability inherent in party-to-party talks, furthermore, threatens to bypass the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), lending credence to fears that real diplomatic work will be conducted in backrooms by individuals who were not democratically elected into office — a system with which Beijing is, by design, fully comfortable, but one that does not represent how a democratic country should conduct diplomacy.

Wu’s optimism about a possible reduction in missiles, meanwhile, is gullibility at its most extreme. For one, even if China were to dismantle or redirect some of its missiles, the fact remains that hundreds would still be aimed this way. One missile — and the threat to use it — is one too many. Furthermore, quantitative cuts mean very little when they could easily be offset by the increasing precision of those still active. In other words, as long as the intent to use missiles against Taiwan exists, talk of cuts is meaningless.

A few years ago, during the KMT Chairmanship election, veteran Taiwan watcher Lawrence Eyton opined:

Ma was widely touted by the media as the favorite, but he was certainly a very odd favorite. When the vote took place, three quarters of the party's legislators, many high-level party officials such as central executive committee head Chang Che-shen and more than 100 retired generals - the KMT is traditionally strong in the military - had thrown their support behind Wang.

Ma may be popular with the locals, but party elites detest him. Now it looks like the Old Guard is simply going to bypass him, leaving Ma to take the hit. Or win the Nobel Peace Prize, as a scholar suggested a few days ago.

Strange to think about it. Voters declined twice, in 2000 and in 2004, to award the Presidency to Lien Chan, Honorary Chairman of the KMT and probably the one calling the shots behind the scene (although there are some net-rumors that Wu is trying to carve out a position for himself as puppeteer to the President along with other KMT heavyweights). To the extent that voters approved of the KMT ticket in 2004, it was more likely support for the able and popular James Soong, the wily populist Caesar to Lien Chan's inestimably wealthy Crassus. The irony is that having twice declined to give the crown to Lien, they have nevertheless handed him the keys to the kingdom by putting the weak Ma in power with a KMT legislature at his back.

And the US thinks cross-strait relations are moving in the right direction. I think I'll go outside now and contemplate the angry gray skies...

[Taiwan]

KMT Chairman to visit mainland, Missiles to visit Taiwan

It's so obvious that it almost doesn't need blogging on, but the new KMT Chairman, Wu Po-hsiung, is going to visit China at the end of the month.

"It is extremely likely that he will visit in late April," Kuan told The Associated Press during a visit to the eastern resort city of Hangzhou.

Wu, 67, won easily after the former chairman of the party, Ma Ying-jeou, resigned following his indictment on corruption charges. But Wu's election was also seen as a sign of support for Ma, who is still expected to be the party's candidate in next year's presidential race.

Kuan said Wu would hope to hold "substantive talks" with his Communist counterparts when he visits.

He said the Nationalists would like to hammer out a more concrete version of an agreement that paved the way for 1992 talks that were the first formal contact between Taiwan and China since they separated amid civil war in 1949.

Substantive talks! I get arguments that the KMT isn't cooperating with China because they used to be enemies, because "so many have died." Yet the first thing Wu does as Chairman is visit China for "substantive talks." The symbolism of the leader from abroad who visits China after being selected leader isn't lost on anyone here or in China: he goes to pay tribute to the masters in Beijing. If it isn't blindingly obvious that the KMT and the CCP are cooperating......no need to finish that sentence.

Media moment: note that the article still repeats the error that China and Taiwan were "separated" amid civil war ( formal sovereignty over the island in 1949 was actualy held by Japan, not China). The KMT and the CCP were separated, not Taiwan and China. The AP reporter's name is misspelled in article as Boodeen, not Boden.

Meanwhile the recent Council on Foreign Relations report says that the antisatellite missile test actually increased the threat to our fair island.

The antisatellite missile test China conducted in January increased the country's military threat to Taiwan by demonstrating a limited ability to blind U.S. satellites that would be deployed in defense of the island, according to a report released Tuesday.

"The test is a vivid example of how China's emerging military capabilities will complicate the strategic environment confronting U.S. forces for decades to come," the study said.

The report was sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent private research group based in New York. It is titled "U.S.-China Relations: An Affirmative Agenda, A Responsible Course."

The CFR is a hugely important elite US Establishment think tank, and its commentary reflects what US elites would like to see.


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