Recent discussions have been sparked on Taiwanese Facebook over an article titled “Why Does the Chinese Communist Party Clear Out Nationalist Party Members Who Used to Collaborate Once They Seize Power?” Several media outlets have reported and shared this article.
After sharing the above article on her Facebook, Taiwanese Zoking Creative CEO Zhao Xiaohui quickly received over a thousand responses and more than four hundred shares.
Some users commented: “Throughout history, those who betray their principles never have a good ending. The bird flies away, the good bow is stored, the cunning rabbit dies, and the running dog ends up being cooked…” “I am a Communist Party member, but I also believe in clearing out traitors and fence-sitters. If one can betray once, they can betray twice.” “We also need to settle the Nationalist Party in Taiwan! They cannot escape.”
Regarding this topic, Epoch Times interviewed several China experts, and their insights are as follows:
Professor Chen Shimin from National Taiwan University’s Department of Political Science explained to Epoch Times that the Chinese Communist Party has a united front work department, which basically follows the principle of “unite with minor enemies to fight the main enemy.” As long as the main enemy has not been defeated, all other minor enemies are potential allies of the Chinese Communist Party.
Chen Shimin stated, “When the main enemy is defeated, the Chinese Communist Party will identify who the new main enemy is, and the former minor enemies become the new main enemy. Those who once collaborated with the Communist Party thinking they could gain benefits will eventually become the primary targets for elimination after helping the party defeat its main adversary.”
Following the Chinese Civil War in 1949, Chiang Kai-shek abandoned the mainland, and Mao Zedong offered a deal of “stop resistance and guarantee safety,” prompting a large number of Nationalist Party members and officials to surrender to the Communist Party. However, after the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, a significant number of surrendered Republic of China forces were sent to the frontlines to serve as cannon fodder.
Huang Tiancai, a former interpreter at an American prisoner of war camp, mentioned that the Communist Party had primitive equipment at that time and relied heavily on human wave tactics. Some prisoners of war recounted being bombarded by American forces all the way to the front lines, resulting in the loss of half the troops in a regiment.
Wu Sezhi, Director of the Taiwan Think Tank’s China Research Center, also spoke to Epoch Times, emphasizing that those who assisted the Communist Party in overthrowing the Republic of China’s government in Beijing during the civil war had no promising future.
Wu Sezhi believed that Zhao Xiaohui’s article shed light on the true nature of the Chinese Communist Party.
Regarding Zhao Xiaohui’s mention of insiders knowing the truth, temporary deals, and dark methods used during the Communist Party’s rise to power, Wu Sezhi stated that if these individuals were to reveal the truth in the future, it could shake the Communist Party’s narrative of a “legitimate revolution.” The simplest solution would be to make them disappear.
Former Dean of the Political Warfare College at National Defense University, Yu Zongji, told Epoch Times that the article exposed many valuable perspectives. Those who sided with or acted as secret Communist Party members would either face retribution or denial of their contributions once the Communist Party seized power.
Yu Zongji pointed out that the Communist Party consolidated its power through the suppression of counter-revolutionaries. According to official statistics from 1954, over two million people were arrested, more than one million were imprisoned, and 712,000 were executed during the anti-counterrevolutionary movement. In 1996, official documents revealed that over 1.57 million were repressed, with over 873,000 sentenced to death. External estimates suggest that 1-2 million people were executed.
Yu Zongji highlighted that from the first day of Communist Party rule, officials from the Kuomintang-led government were all eliminated, including defectors or surrendered troops who were either executed or not recognized for their contributions.
He added that these intelligence operatives were essentially like hidden knives in the enemy’s heart, but the Communist Party often erased their accomplishments.
For instance, during the 1946 peace negotiations between the Communists and the Nationalists, two operatives were placed close to the Nationalist commander Fu Zuoyi in North China: his daughter Fu Dongju and his confidential secretary Yan Youwen. Despite Fu Zuoyi eventually surrendering with 600,000 troops, these individuals did not fare well.
Yu Zongji remarked that the communist regime’s power was built on deception, especially during the anti-Japanese War when the bulk of the fighting was done by the Nationalist forces, despite communist propaganda claiming otherwise. The casualty figures reflected this deception.
In an article by China’s official Xinhua News Agency in October, it mentioned “patriotic administration of Taiwan” and a high degree of autonomy after peaceful reunification. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council promptly responded, stating that China’s attempt to “Hong Kongify” Taiwan was evident, and the people of Taiwan would not be deceived.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te recently indicated that the ’92 Consensus, the One China principle, and Taiwan’s plan meant “one country, two systems,” which aligns with China’s policy of “patriotic administration of Taiwan,” aiming to subjugate Taiwan under Communist rule.
Zhao Xiaohui pointed out in her article that the Communist Party’s strategy of “use, recruit, and purge” is inherent to its system and will not change over time; only the packaging may vary.
Will the Communist Party employ its cleansing habits in Taiwan? Chen Shimin warned that it is highly possible. Just as former Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaoye once mentioned, if the Communist Party unifies Taiwan, they might set up reeducation camps, similar to what happened in Xinjiang, to assert control over the Taiwanese populace.
Chen Shimin drew parallels with the forced sterilization of Uighur women in Xinjiang and the mass influx of Han Chinese migrants into the region. He speculated that if Taiwan were united with China, native residents might be relocated, and loyal Chinese individuals might replace them to control Taiwan, leading to a bleak future for the island’s populace.
Chen Shimin emphasized that the Chinese Communist Party’s united front logic dictates that anyone affiliated with the party adheres to its principles and class struggle beliefs regardless of changes over time.