After mainland China reached a 90-day reduced-tariff deal with the U.S., the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) praised itself for “defeating the U.S.” by “taking a hard stance” to beat the U.S. The Huanqiu Times, a CCP-controlled media outlet focused on global affairs, published an article stating that Taiwanese people are criticizing their government for “kneeling to the U.S. and not having much to show for it.”
The Huanqiu Times article quoted the Taiwanese newspaper China Times three times:
- China Times Online cites analysts suggesting that, compared with Beijing’s tough countermeasures, Taipei has “knelt completely.” “Was TSMC simply given away for nothing?” (referring to TSMC’s announcements regarding plans for new factories in the U.S.)
- A China Times Online editorial on July 13 stated: “Mainland China got the U.S. to reduce tariffs to 30 percent while ‘standing tall.’ After all of Taiwan’s kneeling, what tariff level will it bargain for before giving the public a real answer?”
- China Times ran a commentary on July 14 titled “Negotiating on One’s Knees Wins No Respect.” The article says that Taiwan – though claiming to be on Washington’s “first-round” negotiation list – is still busy “handing in its homework” to the U.S. “Taiwan President Lai Ching-te offered five major measures to please the U.S., including larger purchases of American goods and more investment in the U.S., but they didn’t get U.S. concessions. The Lai administration’s bowing to the U.S. wins no respect but only invites exploitation.”
The Huanqiu Times article also quoted a few former and current politicians in Taiwan:
- Former legislator Kuo Cheng-liang told a TV panel: “Did Lai Ching-te give ground too quickly? Places that stood firm seem to have fared better.”
- Former Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Yong-ping remarked on air, “The mainland’s result with the U.S. is astonishing – and it shows that between kneeling and not kneeling, the side that refuses to kneel wins first!”
- New Party Taipei Councillor Hou Han-ting wrote on social media that, while mainland China, Japan, South Korea, and even the EU all stood firm, “it seems only the DPP (the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan) is rushing to hand Washington money.”
{Editor’s Note: China Times is owned by Taiwan company Want Want, which supports the CCP’s political priorities due to Want Want’s significant business footprint in mainland China. The three current and former politicians cited above all have political views aligned with the CCP or are in favor of Taiwan-China reunification.}
Source: Huanqiu Times (a.k.a. Global Times), May 14, 2025
https://m.huanqiu.com/article/4MgIDiHq7dD