Duowei News, a pro-Beijing news media, published a commentary titled, “Democratic Progressive Party, What Else Can You Do but Give up Taiwan Independence?” It stated that the major defeat that the Democratic Progressive Party suffered suggests that it must make a change to its Taiwan Independence Policy or it will face an unprecedented crisis. Below is a summary of the commentary.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffered a major defeat in the recent Taiwanese Local Elections. In addition to the big loss in the non-traditional DPP regions, it is no longer holding the lead in the traditional DPP regions, including Kaohsiung, where the DPP has held the lead for the last 20 years.
Unlike the loss the DPP encountered in 2008 when Chen Shui-bian was removed from his post due to corruption, the DPP’s loss this time fully reflects the dissatisfaction of the Taiwanese people with the DPP. The DPP’s pursuit of Taiwan Independence has resulted in an unprecedented crisis in Taiwan’s economic development. The decline of Taiwan’s society has led the DPP to fall, eventually, into an unprecedented crisis.
The unprecedented defeat of the DPP has highlighted the deepening of the mistrust of Taiwanese society towards the regime that is for Taiwan Independence. It has resulted in Taiwan missing the development opportunities of the past 20 years, which was the golden period when the mainland was growing. It has lost the huge market in the mainland which would have belonged to Taiwan.
The development dividends that Taiwan created on the basis of Ten Major Construction Projects are being depleted rapidly. The self-derogation within Taiwan is getting more and more serious. The turbulence that the political chaos caused and the diminishing of the people’s income have finally turned the public from support to opposition. All of this became completely clear during the elections.
The facts show that the DPP’s Taiwan independence policy is totally unsuitable for Taiwan’s social development as well as for meeting the actual needs of the Taiwanese people. The DPP must change and it has to change.
Tsai Ing-wen’s government has two more years to go. Although it is losing its balance, it still has the real power. There are still many things to do.
If the DPP adjusts its Taiwan independence policy, it will be a wise move. On the one hand, it can establish a more moderate relationship with the mainland and at the same time it will let Taiwan voters who are increasingly disappointed see the possibility of re-acceptance.
Of course, the DPP can also choose to continue its strong confrontation with the mainland and become a pawn of the U.S., but it has to understand the consequences that will result from more and more radicalization of its Taiwan independence policy.
Whether the DPP can thoroughly reflect on the Taiwan independence policy is worthy of attention. However, among all the issues, the survival of the DPP is the first. It may have to make changes in the Taiwan independence policy. Otherwise, the DPP will only face a crueler living environment in Taiwan until Taiwanese society completely abandons it.
Source: Duowei News, November 25, 2018
http://blog.dwnews.com/post-1072139.html