[Cross-Strait] Wu Se-chih Column: Why was Cheng Li-wen snubbed during her visit to the US?
bellala 央廣3h ago
In recent years, US-Taiwan relations have continued to deepen, with a solid foundation of mutual trust established in areas such as security cooperation, economic and trade exchanges, and connections based on democratic values. Against this backdrop, it is a normal phenomenon in democratic politics for Taiwan's major political parties to maintain good communication channels with the United States. However, KMT Chairwoman Hsu Chih-jung's recent visit to the US has been marred by controversies, including the cancellation of scheduled meetings, a lower level of reception, and ridicule from American media, which stands in stark contrast to the treatment received by high-ranking KMT officials during past visits to the US.
The question is, why was Hsu Chih-jung snubbed during her US visit? This is not due to interference from the DPP, nor is it an intentional humiliation of the opposition party by the US. Judging from her words and actions during the visit, the US chose to maintain distance for quite clear reasons, and it was a direct response to Hsu Chih-jung and the political line she represents.
The US Cannot Understand: Why is Taiwan's Opposition Party Speaking for Beijing?
Party competition in democratic countries inherently allows for debate on different policy proposals and lines, and the opposition party's oversight of the ruling party is an indispensable part of a democratic system. However, every democratic country has a bottom line that cannot be crossed: national security, national interests, and national sovereignty.
Take the US as an example. The Republican and Democratic parties have fierce disagreements on many policies, but when it comes to national security and foreign competition, both parties share a basic consensus on safeguarding American interests. Even with the vast differences in political lines between Trump and Biden, no one would go to Beijing to defend Chinese leaders, let alone package China's interests as American interests.
However, the biggest problem with Hsu Chih-jung's US visit is that her impression on the US side was not that of representing Taiwan's opposition party, but rather of acting as a messenger for Beijing.
According to public reports, Hsu Chih-jung not only mentioned her interactions with Xi Jinping multiple times but also publicly stated that without a "Hsu-Xi meeting," she would just be a "plain party chairwoman." Not only that, but Hsu Chih-jung also relayed Xi Jinping's statement that "as long as both sides of the strait belong to one China, anything can be discussed." She even publicly described Xi Jinping in the US as "very gentle, very kind, and very sincere." While such remarks might not be surprising at a Beijing united front forum, they appeared particularly out of place in Washington, New York, and Los Angeles.
To the US, Hsu Chih-jung did not present a concrete plan for cross-strait peace, nor did she offer a policy blueprint for reducing regional risks. Instead, she repeatedly echoed Beijing's long-standing propaganda narrative of peace. When a leader of a major opposition party in Taiwan goes to the US and is busy endorsing Xi Jinping, it is natural for the US side to have doubts: "Does she truly represent the interests of the Taiwanese people, or is she conveying messages for the Chinese Communist Party?"
It is no wonder that The Wall Street Journal reported from the angle of "Taiwan Opposition Leader Visits US Carrying Messages from Beijing." This is because, in the eyes of the US, Hsu Chih-jung's role seems to have gradually blurred the lines between a Taiwanese political party and a Beijing united front agent.
Praising Xi Jinping Raises US Doubts About the KMT's Line
The US values Taiwan not because of its political party colors, but because Taiwan stands on the front line of the democratic camp. Therefore, what the US cares about most is not which party is in power, but whether that party embraces democratic values, is willing to maintain regional stability, and possesses the will to resist authoritarian expansion.
However, Hsu Chih-jung's US visit repeatedly emphasized her special relationship with Xi Jinping, even showcasing this relationship as a political asset. While such actions might have specific political calculations in Taiwan, they send a completely different signal to the US. This is because the current US-China competition has entered a phase of structural confrontation, and the US is comprehensively examining China's influence and infiltration into democratic countries through political, economic, and informational means. In this context, for a leader of a major Taiwanese political party to consider her relationship with Xi Jinping as an honor, and even use it to prove her political influence, naturally raises the US's vigilance.
In other words, what the US truly fears is not Hsu Chih-jung being pro-China, but whether the KMT has gradually shifted from its past "pro-US and friendly to China" stance to "pro-China and anti-US." In the past, the KMT has long cultivated relations with the US and accumulated considerable achievements in party diplomacy. The US is familiar with many political figures within the KMT. However, Hsu Chih-jung's recent statements and actions have led external observers to question whether the KMT is repositioning its international line.
This doubt could further impact the KMT's overall international image. In the future, when important KMT figures such as Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu visit the US, the US will inevitably observe through various contacts and interactions whether the KMT has undergone a significant shift in its political line.
The Fundamental Reason for Hsu Chih-jung's Snub is Her Willingness to Act as Beijing's Agent
Regarding the reception level during this US visit, the most noteworthy point is that the US did not completely refuse contact with Hsu Chih-jung. Instead, by lowering the reception level and canceling important meetings, it sent a clear signal. This indicates that the problem is not that she is the KMT chairwoman, but rather the content she conveyed.
If Hsu Chih-jung had brought issues of security concerns, regional peace plans, or democratic cooperation initiatives that the Taiwanese people commonly care about to the US, the US would naturally have been willing to engage in in-depth exchanges. However, the result was that Hsu Chih-jung brought narratives that Beijing has repeatedly promoted, such as "peaceful reunification," the "one-China framework," or "Xi Jinping's goodwill." Naturally, the US had no reason to endorse these messages.
Even more alarming are the controversies during her visit, including reports of dining with individuals from China's united front system and the incident where a questioner was roughly treated at a public event. These events have further fueled external doubts about the purpose of her visit. American society places great importance on freedom of speech. When dissenting voices are suppressed, it not only fails to persuade the US but also deepens external negative perceptions of her political stance.
Therefore, the biggest failure of Hsu Chih-jung's US visit was not failing to meet important officials or achieve concrete results, but rather causing the US to question the foundation of trust with the KMT. Imagine when a leader of a major Taiwanese opposition party talks extensively about Xi Jinping's goodwill in the US, endorses China's peace narrative, and even gives the impression that the united front system is shadowing her. It is natural for the US to consider this no longer a simple party exchange, but an issue involving value choices and strategic positions.
The reason for Hsu Chih-jung's snub during her US visit is actually very simple: it is not because she represents the KMT, but because she chose to go to the US carrying "Beijing's messages." It is not because the US does not respect the opposition party, but because the US cannot accept a political party leader from democratic Taiwan acting as a political propagandist for authoritarian China on the core stage of the democratic world. For the KMT, when its chairwoman is increasingly labeled as "Beijing's person" in the eyes of the US, it is not only the party and government officials visiting the US who need to be vigilant, but potentially also the KMT's long-accumulated international credibility and party diplomacy assets.
Author: Wu Se-chih, Assistant Professor, General Education Center, Taipei University of Marine Technology; Consultant, Taiwan Thinktank; Director, Center for China Studies; Unpaid Consultant, Straits Exchange Foundation.
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=215519
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