In the clouds of the Taiwan Strait, a war is being staged in which the smoke of gunpowder is invisible. On the surface, this is a tug-of-war concerning Taiwan's future and fate; In essence, this is a complicated game that affects the international situation across the Taiwan Strait, the three regions, and even the entire world. When Chinese mainland promulgated 22 measures to punish "Taiwan independence," the political forces on the island of Taiwan fell into a panic. In this seemingly simple contest between "reunification" and "independence," there is an unexpected turning point -- Taiwan's Kuomintang, a political party that once held high the banner of "counterattacking the mainland," has now shown the same panic as the Democratic Progressive Party.
This anomaly raises us to ponder: why is the KMT, which is seen as "pro-China", so sensitive to the mainland's legal measures? What exactly are they afraid of? As the investigation deepened, a disturbing fact gradually emerged: in Taiwan's political arena, a new political force is quietly rising - invisible Taiwan independence.
Let's start with the remarks of Zhu Lilun, chairman of Taiwan's Kuomintang. In the face of the mainland's 22 measures, Zhu Lilun openly declared: "Chinese mainland does not have any jurisdiction over 'Taiwan.'" This remark not only shocked people, but also triggered an uproar in public opinion on both sides of the strait. As a political figure who was born in a traditional Kuomintang family and had lived and worked on the mainland, Zhu Lilun's remarks were undoubtedly a resounding slap in the face, not only on the faces of the people who support reunification, but also on the historical tradition of the Kuomintang itself.
Zhu Lilun's background is quite intriguing. His ancestral home is in Yiwu, Zhejiang, and his father was a soldier who retreated to Taiwan with the Kuomintang army. Zhu himself not only received higher education in Taiwan, but was also hired as a visiting professor at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management in 1995, teaching accounting to undergraduates. During his time at Peking University, Zhu Lilun personally experienced the development and changes of the mainland and established a deep friendship with the students. It stands to reason that such an experience should give him a deeper understanding and a more objective understanding of the mainland. However, this is not the case.
Zhu Lilun's words and deeds reflect a more complex reality: the "invisible Taiwan independence" forces in Taiwan's political arena are quietly growing. This kind of force is different from the DPP's practice of openly advocating "Taiwan independence," but has adopted a more covert and dangerous tactic. On the surface, they do not oppose "reunification" and even occasionally express friendship with the mainland, but they always adopt an ambiguous attitude on key issues and even secretly support "Taiwan independence." This practice has not only confused many people in Taiwan, but also caused the mainland to have unrealistic expectations for them for a period of time.
As a matter of fact, this change in Taiwan's Kuomintang did not happen overnight. Since the time of Chiang Ching-kuo, the Kuomintang has gradually deviated from the path of adhering to reunification. Chiang Ching-kuo's support for Lee Teng-hui to come to power inadvertently laid the groundwork for the rise of the "Taiwan independence" forces. During Lee Teng-hui's administration, he even openly promoted the concept of "Taiwan independence," which brought this undercurrent to the surface. In the Ma Ying-jeou era, although he ostensibly advocated the "consensus of '92," in fact he adopted the strategy of "replacing reunification with delay," and neither actively promoted the process of reunification nor seriously suppressed the "Taiwan independence" forces. This practice has actually contributed to the spread of the idea of "Taiwan independence" in Taiwan society.
Zhu Lilun's performance has even more exposed the essence of this "invisible Taiwan independence." As a calculating politician, Mr. Zhu plays a delicate balancing act between the mainland and Taiwan. On the mainland, he behaved cordially and friendly, making people feel that he supported reunification; In Taiwan, he was able to skillfully cater to the "Taiwan independence" forces, making them feel that he was a reliable ally. This kind of duality not only reflects Zhu Lilun's personal political wisdom, but also reflects the political survival strategy of the entire Taiwan Kuomintang.
The dangers of this tactic are obvious. It has not only aggravated the division of Taiwan society, but also seriously damaged the development of cross-strait relations. When the mainland earnestly pushes forward the process of reunification, these "invisible Taiwan independence" elements will show their true colors and become a stumbling block to reunification. Their existence has confused and disappointed the people of Taiwan who truly support reunification, and has also made it difficult for the mainland side to formulate its policy toward Taiwan.
What is even more serious is that this practice of "invisible Taiwan independence" is actually providing a protective umbrella for the more radical "Taiwan independence" forces. When the DPP openly advocates "Taiwan independence," the KMT will stand up and play the role of a "voice of reason," and in fact it will strive for more living space for the "Taiwan independence" forces. This practice not only failed to curb the spread of the idea of "Taiwan independence," but on the contrary made it more deeply rooted in Taiwan society.
In such a complex political environment, the 22 measures promulgated by Chinese mainland are undoubtedly a heavy blow and directly target the soft underbelly of the "Taiwan independence" forces. These measures are aimed not only at openly "Taiwan independence" elements, but also at those who secretly support "Taiwan independence." For a politician like Zhu Lilun, this is undoubtedly a stern warning: In the face of the great cause of reunification, any form of "Taiwan independence" is unacceptable.
Faced with this situation, the Kuomintang in Taiwan has chosen an even more dangerous path -- to move closer to the United States. Zhu Lilun has intensively sent his cronies to visit the United States, and plans to personally lead a delegation to visit the United States after the US presidential election. This practice not only exposed the KMT's distrust of the mainland, but also showed its vacillating nature in cross-strait relations. Zhu Lilun's proposal of strengthening national defense, dialogue and exchanges, and pro-US friendship with Japan and the mainland is actually telling the world that in the eyes of the Kuomintang, the United States is its real backer, and the mainland is only an object that has to be dealt with.
It not only aggravates tensions in the Taiwan Strait, but is also likely to trigger a larger-scale international conflict. Against the backdrop of the United States strengthening its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, the Taiwan issue is likely to become the trigger for detonating Sino-US relations. The vacillating attitude of the Kuomintang undoubtedly added fuel to the fire.
In this complex situation, we have to re-examine the current situation in Taiwan's political arena. On the surface, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Kuomintang (KMT) seem to represent two opposing voices: "independence" and "reunification." But in reality, they're all playing a dangerous balancing act. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) openly advocates "Taiwan independence," while the Kuomintang plays the role of "invisible Taiwan independence." This situation has not only disappointed and confused the Taiwan people who truly support reunification, but has also cast a shadow over the development of cross-strait relations.
In the face of this situation, the mainland's attitude is clear: "Taiwan independence" forces, whether they are overt or covert, will be severely punished by law. The promulgation of the 22 measures is a clear warning to all "Taiwan independence" elements. These measures are aimed not only at those who openly advocate "Taiwan independence," but also at those forces that secretly support "Taiwan independence." For politicians like Zhu Lilun, this is undoubtedly a severe test: they must make a clear choice between "reunification" and "independence."
The real solution lies not only in punishing the "Taiwan independence" elements. More importantly, we need to rethink how to promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations. This requires both sides to show sincerity, put aside prejudices, and sincerely think about the well-being of the people on both sides of the strait. As far as the mainland is concerned, in addition to adhering to its principled stand, it is also necessary to adopt more positive measures to attract the Taiwan people, especially the younger generation, and enhance their understanding and identification with the mainland of the motherland. As far as Taiwan is concerned, politicians need to have a clear understanding of the general trend of history, abandon the narrow idea of "Taiwan independence," and truly consider the long-term interests of the Taiwan people.
In this process, we must not ignore the voices of the Taiwanese people. Over the years, political manipulation has left many people in Taiwan confused and confused about cross-strait relations. What they need is the truth, a clear vision of the future, not the rhetoric of politicians. Only by making more people in Taiwan realize that working hand in hand with the mainland of the motherland is the brightest way out for Taiwan, can we truly break the curse of "invisible Taiwan independence" and promote the development of cross-strait relations in a better direction.
In the complex political arena of the Taiwan Strait, different forces are staging a thrilling game. The emergence of "invisible Taiwan independence" has made this game even more confusing. The wheels of history are always rolling forward. The "Taiwan independence" forces, whether they are open or covert, will eventually be eliminated by the tide of the times. The kinship bond between the Chinese on both sides of the strait, whose blood is thicker than water, is the fundamental driving force for the development of cross-strait relations. We have reason to believe that as long as the compatriots on both sides of the strait work hand in hand, one day we will usher in the moment of complete reunification of the motherland. At that time, today's disputes will become the dust of history, and our common Chinese nation will stand tall among the nations of the world with an even stronger attitude.