The upcoming election for the chairmanship of the Kuomintang (KMT) in Taiwan is set to take place on October 18, with the deadline for candidate registration closing on September 20, where a total of 6 candidates have registered to run for office. The question on many people’s minds is whether the new party chairperson will be able to adjust the KMT’s cross-strait policy to remove the label of being “pro-China,” a topic that is garnering attention from the global Chinese community.
Experts analyze that the KMT is currently divided into various factions, making it difficult for any potential winner to fully control the party and change its cross-strait policy. The key question that the candidates vying for the party chairmanship should answer is: Is the KMT indeed an anti-communist party?
As the KMT chairmanship election enters its final stage, from September 15 to 19, candidates completed their registrations, with the drawing of numbers taking place on the 20th. The Central Election Commission has confirmed the eligibility of the six registered candidates, with contenders such as Hao Lung-pin, Cheng Li-wen, and Lo Chih-chiang forming a dominant trio in the election landscape.
According to a poll conducted by the Apple Daily website with the question “6 candidates vie for KMT leadership, who would you choose?” encouraging netizens to vote for their preferred party chairperson, as of 10:00 am on the 22nd, a total of 2,926 people had cast their votes. Lo Chih-chiang led the poll with 39% support, followed by Cheng Li-wen at 33.6%, Hao Lung-pin at 14.2%, Chang Ya-chung at 6.3%, Cho Po-yuan at 4.9%, and Tsai Chih-hung at 1.6%.
The question remains: who is the most likely candidate to become the next KMT party chairperson? Insights from Japanese senior media personality and executive director of the Indo-Pacific Strategic Think Tank, Yabuta Akio, suggest that the KMT puts great emphasis on lineage, indicating that Hao Lung-pin’s potential election could be attributed to his father Hao Pao-chun. While Cheng Li-wen switched from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), her path to the chairmanship may face challenges in gaining internal party support. Yabuta emphasizes that polling data and KMT members’ votes may differ, with polls serving as a reference point.
Yabuta Akio mentions to the Epoch Times that Hao Lung-pin has not expressed strong pro-China views in the past, portraying himself as a typical defender of the Republic of China (ROC), which he believes would lead to smoother operations within the KMT if elected since he has maintained a certain distance from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). However, given the complex internal factions within the KMT, even Hao Lung-pin’s election may not guarantee full control.
A recent BBC report highlighted that the DPP has consistently targeted the KMT’s cross-strait policies. During the recent wave of recalls, the Green camp used the slogan “Supporting recalls means stronger opposition to the CCP,” accusing KMT legislators of “violating the constitution, pro-China, weakening national security.”
Independent media personality and Director of the Taiwan Research Association for Cross-Strait Relations, Huang Ching-lung, analyzed that since the KMT came to Taiwan, whether continuing the ROC government of the Chiangs or establishing roots in Taiwan, a fundamental prerequisite has been anti-communism.
“After Taiwan’s democratization, the KMT lost power, especially in the past decade under Tsai Ing-wen and Lai Ching-teh, where there has been an increasing reliance on the current Communist Party as a force behind Taiwan. Regardless of the CCP’s slogans promoting the ‘great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation’ or opposing Taiwan independence, it seems the KMT and CCP are growing more aligned.”
Liu Chia-wei, a professor of Public Administration and Policy at Taipei University, told the BBC that anti-communism is a trend in Taiwanese society and internationally. The new KMT chairperson should differentiate their discourse regarding the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and mainland China.
Regarding the disenchantment of many voters with the DPP’s manipulation under the guise of “anti-communism” during the recalls, Left Zheng-dong, a professor of Political Science at National Taiwan University, stressed to the BBC that “this does not mean they support the KMT’s cross-strait policy; these are two separate matters.” The new party chairperson must present cross-strait exchange proposals that the public can trust.
According to a recent survey by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Commission, nearly 80% of people agree that “the ROC and the PRC do not belong to each other.” Huang Ching-lung stated that the prevailing trend in Taiwan today is a deep antipathy towards the Chinese Communist Party, united against communism and separatism.
Huang Ching-lung acknowledged the suspense regarding whether the KMT indeed positions itself as an anti-communist party. So far, the political standpoints of the KMT candidates mainly revolve around two points: either advocating for a KMT and People First Party alliance or deciding whether to support Lu Hsiu-yen’s presidential candidacy.
“Regardless of whether it’s alliances or endorsing Lu, the crucial aspect is having a clear position on where Taiwan should head under your leadership by 2028 for a potential return to power. Setting aside the controversial issue of the country’s name, the stance on anti-communism remains paramount.”
This KMT chairmanship election is a critical moment for the party’s direction, with the candidates needing to address this central question.
BBC recently reported that KMT Chairman Chu Li-lun announced his resignation on August 23, intending to pass the torch to Taichung Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen, who declined, causing internal divisions within the Blue camp regarding the next party chairperson, resulting in up to 9 people expressing interest in running and facing integration challenges.
The report further emphasized that this election is not just about internal personnel contests within the KMT but also concerns the future direction of the party as a whole and the changing political landscape in Taiwan. The future KMT chairperson will lead the party’s overall strategies and personnel arrangements for the 2026 local elections and the 2028 presidential election.
Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore’s Political Science Department, Chuang Chia-ying, suggests that the KMT hasn’t found a bigger common ground than the “Republic of China” internally, though the interpretation of the ROC remains a topic open for discussion within the party. The new chairperson will need to establish consensus, but the method to achieve this remains unclear for now.
Three years ago, during the 2021 KMT chairmanship election, Central News Agency reported that seeking re-election, Johnny Chiang came in third in votes, signaling a setback for the younger generation’s reform efforts and insistence on ROC sovereignty, rejecting the cross-strait discourse of “One Country, Two Systems,” which failed to resonate within the party.
In response, Director of the Taiwan Chinese Research Center at Think Tanks, Wu Se, informed the Epoch Times that the younger generation within the KMT has made efforts. Chiang’s cross-strait stance aimed at initiating broad party reforms faced challenges. Even the current Chairman, Chu Li-lun, had previously mentioned that the “1992 Consensus” lacks actual consensus, and couldn’t trigger the desired change in the party’s internal or national direction.
Wu Se states that there are pro-China factions within the KMT wishing to maintain the current direction, which is inextricably linked to the complexities arising from past interactions between the KMT and CCP. Reversing this course poses considerable difficulty for the KMT.