台湾之殇：错位的赖清德

Japan colonized Taiwan in order to promote the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

The same applies when the Nationalist government came to Taiwan.

It's just a springboard for the counterattack against the mainland.

Especially after the Kuomintang government came to Taiwan The Taiwanese people are treated better than during colonial rule.

Even worse than Japan's colonial rule over Taiwan The Kuomintang government was aiming to counterattack the mainland.

It even emphasized that after the Kuomintang came to Taiwan The treatment of the Taiwanese people is worse than during the colonial period.

If a Japanese person holds this imperial historical view So it's not surprising.

But a descendant of a colonial victim A leader who inherited the mantle of the Republic of China said this That would cross a line.

Why?

Before talking about Lai Ching-te Let me start by telling you something that has deeply moved me.

February 28th After the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran Many Middle Eastern countries have closed their airspace.

A large number of flights were cancelled Many tourists were affected.

Among them were three Middle East tour groups from Taiwan's Yutai Travel Agency.

There were a total of ninety-three people.

After they finished touring Türkiye The original flight I booked was a connecting flight to Taiwan via Abu Dhabi in the UAE.

But after this war started...

All flights were cancelled.

All the tickets for the Taiwan tour group were rescheduled.

up to four times Ultimately, it could not be implemented.

They were trapped in Istanbul for five whole days.

Because Taiwan and Türkiye do not have diplomatic relations.

Therefore, these Taiwanese tourists had nowhere to turn for help.

He could only contact the Chinese Consulate in Istanbul.

We hope the mainland can help arrange for mainland aircraft to evacuate them.

The Chinese consulate agreed without hesitation.

Ultimately, China Eastern Airlines flight 704 was arranged.

They brought these 93 Taiwanese tourists back to Shanghai from Türkiye.

Then I returned to Taiwan from Shanghai.

After being stranded for approximately five days Ninety-three Taiwanese tourists who were traveling in the Middle East were finally able to board a China Eastern Airlines flight.

They will travel to Shanghai in batches.

This group of Taiwanese compatriots came from three Middle East tour groups from the same Taiwanese travel agency.

This matter was originally about both sides of the Taiwan Strait abandoning ideology.

A good deed to help those in distress Many of these tourists did indeed express their gratitude later.

anyway Taiwan's official...

Taiwan's official...

I should also say thank you.

But how did the DPP authorities in Taiwan respond?

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council issued a statement saying that the mainland's propaganda about this matter is a form of cognitive warfare.

It's a deliberate attempt to smear Taiwan's ineffective evacuation efforts.

DPP legislator Lin Chun-hsien went even further.

He said China wasn't trying to rescue people.

Rather, they wanted to achieve their political propaganda goals.

But at the same time...

Two Taiwanese tourists stranded in Bahrain, a Gulf state After returning on a Japanese repatriation charter flight Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its sincere gratitude immediately.

Talking about Taiwan and Japan As partners in the Indo-Pacific region who share the universal values ​​of democracy, freedom, and human rights.

This cooperation fully demonstrates the sincere friendship between the two sides in supporting each other during times of emergency and crisis.

China helped 93 Taiwanese people return home.

I didn't get a single thank you.

It was even criticized as political propaganda and a cognitive war.

Japan helped two Taiwanese people.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) then launched into a lengthy expression of gratitude.

I was speechless after seeing it.

But this matter can help us understand better.

Why does Lai Ching-te so highly praise Japan's colonial history?

Of course, Lai Ching-te is pro-Japanese.

It's nothing new.

This tendency to request a date If this were applied to other ordinary people...

It's nothing.

but If we dig up Lai Ching-te's family history Compare this to his stance.

It creates a suffocating sense of absurdity.

Lai Ching-te's ancestors They migrated to Taiwan from Pinghe County, Zhangzhou, Fujian during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty.

By Lai Ching-te's generation It's only the fourth generation in total.

They first settled in Yunling Gukeng, Taiwan.

Later, in order to make a living They eventually moved to Ruifang in Taipei.

Making a living by mining coal Three generations of the Lai family They all make a living in the perilous coal mines.

Lai Ching-te's father was named Lai Chao-chin.

Born in Ruifang Coal Mine in 1927 He followed in his father's footsteps and became a miner.

1943 Lai Chao-chin personally experienced one of the darkest events in Taiwan's colonial history: the Ruifang Anti-Japanese Army Case.

The incident was triggered by Li Jianxing, a local coal mine owner in Ruifang.

He clashed with Japanese detectives.

Japanese officials accused Li Jianxing of colluding with mainland China.

Organize anti-Japanese armed forces Subsequently, members of the Li Jianxing family were arrested.

And many miners More than 500 people were arrested in total.

Taiwan was liberated in 1945 This group of people who were arrested and put in prison Only a little over a hundred people survived.

The other three hundred or so all died in prison.

No remains Lai Chaojin was only sixteen years old at the time.

One of the victims of this arrest He was tortured during interrogation by Japanese military police.

He was lucky to survive.

Until Taiwan's Retrocession Lai Chaojin is still working in this coal mine He died in a mining accident in 1960.

Lai Ching-te at that time Three months old Therefore, judging solely from Lai Ching-te's family background During the colonial period Their family has always been at the bottom of society.

Suffering from exploitation and hardship The so-called glory of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere Actually, I never belonged to this kind of family.

Let's not talk about deep-seated hatred.

But it's definitely not to the point where we should be grateful.

This kind of "you torment me a thousand times" I still love you like I did when I first fell in love with you.

This is what we often call the "imperial subject complex".

The so-called imperial subject complex This refers to the period of Japanese colonial rule.

The Japanese government implemented the "Japanization" movement in its colonies.

Forced cultural cleansing This has led to some people being brainwashed by education.

Cultural traditions They psychologically accepted Japanese rule.

Taking pride in Japanese colonization Similar to Stockholm syndrome Actually, this kind of pro-Japanese imperial sentiment...

Lai Ching-te is not the only one in Taiwan's political arena.

Former President Lee Teng-hui He is another typical example.

And even more dramatic Lee Teng-hui's older brother is named Lee Teng-chin.

He took the name Iwasato Takenori during the Japanese occupation.

He was influenced by the Japanization Movement He enlisted in the Japanese Navy in 1943.

February 1945 He died in the Battle of Manila in the Philippines.

Only 23 years old His memorial tablet was subsequently enshrined at the Yasukuni Shrine.

Lee Teng-hui himself changed his name to Iwasato Masao during the Japanization Movement.

He also received a complete Japanese education and cultural immersion.

2007 When Lee Teng-hui visited Japan in a private capacity...

He made a special trip to Yasukuni Shrine to pay his respects.

The main purpose is to worship his brother's memorial tablet.

He claimed to have fulfilled his lifelong wish. At that time...

This also caused a huge uproar.

Considering that Lee Teng-hui grew up during the Japanese colonial period...

Received Japanese education from a young age They all died in battle far from home, as Taiwanese soldiers serving in the Japanese army.

What about the complexity of this personal emotion?

There is at least some reason to it.

but Lai Ching-te's situation is completely different from Lee Teng-hui's.

His family are descendants of genuine Fujian immigrants.

My father didn't benefit from the Japanization either.

Instead, they were captured and tortured by the Japanese.

The miners who almost died in prison Lai Ching-te lost his father at a young age Growing up in extreme poverty He was able to finish university and enter politics thanks to his mother working several jobs.

He did not have the same upbringing as Lee Teng-hui, who was deeply intertwined with colonialism.

Therefore, he carried the burden of national and personal hatred to erode [his influence].

It's a bit like the common saying that leeks praise the sickle.

The irony is a bit too strong.

Let's move on to the real history.

Was Taiwan really better during the Japanese colonial period than during the Kuomintang era?

Since the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895 Taiwan was ceded to Japan.

Returned in 1945 Taiwan experienced fifty years of colonial rule.

These fifty years In order to suppress the Taiwanese resistance at present...

There are at least four documented systematic massacres.

The First Yunlin Massacre After Taiwan was ceded in 1895 Tang Jingsong, the last governor of Taiwan He was unwilling to surrender and evacuate.

He himself spearheaded the establishment of a Republic of Taiwan to carry out armed resistance.

Led by the renowned general Liu Yongfu, the local Taiwanese militia fought a bloody and arduous battle.

After the Japanese army paid a considerable price...

In November of the same year, they completely occupied Taiwan.

However, the resistance from the Taiwanese people did not stop there.

The insurgents are still active in central Taiwan.

After suffering heavy losses, the Japanese army Enraged A retaliatory massacre was then launched in the Yunlin area of ​​central Taiwan.

Japanese troops burned, killed, and looted more than seventy villages around Yunlin County.

It lasted for five days Conservative estimates suggest that at least 15,000 people were massacred.

Historically known as the Yunlin Massacre There are many villages.

They were wiped out!

After this massacre Japan in order to more effectively control Taiwan The Baojia system was restored.

The requirement for Taiwanese citizens to monitor and report each other is...

Otherwise, they will be held jointly liable.

Controlling Taiwan through this terrifying method The second major massacre occurred in 1902.

May of that year The last resistance force in Taiwan consisted of 265 people.

Under the leadership of Lin Shaomao They accepted the conditions offered by Taiwan Governor-General Kodama Gentaro.

Decided to lay down arms and surrender Kodama Gentaro goes back on his word Then, under the guise of holding a ceremony of submission...

Lure all the anti-Japanese troops that have already surrendered and laid down their arms to assemble.

Then they slaughtered all two hundred-plus people.

The third massacre was the Hsi Lai An Incident.

1915 Yu Qingfang, Luo Jun, Jiang Ding and others from Tainan Secretly organized an armed uprising at Xilai Temple in Tainan.

This was also during the Japanese occupation period.

The largest armed uprising by civilians in Taiwan After the uprising was suppressed Japanese authorities launched a massive crackdown.

A total of 1,957 people were arrested.

866 were executed Even Japanese prosecutors later had to admit it.

This was an unprecedented tragedy in the history of world judicial proceedings.

Not only that The Japanese army retaliated against the villagers who supported the uprising.

Also under the guise of training camp Luring nearby villagers to the wild He was forced to dig his own grave.

Then a massacre was carried out.

Nearly 3,200 people were massacred in one go.

The elderly, the weak, and infants were all spared.

What about the fourth genocide?

This refers to the Wushe Incident, which everyone is familiar with.

October 1930 Seediq indigenous people in Wushe, Nantou County, central Taiwan They were driven by their inability to bear the humiliation and exploitation of indigenous women by the Japanese.

An uprising under the leadership of Moarudao The Japanese colonial authorities faced the Seediq people, who were still living in the era of cold weapons.

Disregarding the Geneva Convention They actually used poison gas to suppress them.

The Japanese army used aircraft to drop vesicant gas on the Seediq people who were hiding in caves.

Caused major casualties This Seediq ethnic group...

He originally belonged to a very small tribe.

The total population at that time was only a little over two thousand.

As a result, over nine hundred were killed in the Japanese bombing.

They were almost wiped out.

The women of this tribe did not want to be a burden to the warriors.

Mass hanging in the dense forest Extremely tragic Moarudao, the leader of the uprising He finally shot himself.

His body was discovered by the Japanese army.

It was specially made into a specimen.

Public display of humiliation It wasn't until 1973 that it was returned to its hometown of Guizang.

This moving and inspiring history It was later adapted into the famous film "Seediq Bale" by Taiwanese director Wei Te-sheng.

Released in Taiwan in 2011 I watched this movie back then.

Very impressive Because before this I know absolutely nothing about the history of Taiwan's indigenous people.

They were even more unaware of this tragic history of resistance against Japan.

If we say...

The four incidents above were merely physical massacres.

The Japanization Movement, on the other hand, was a systematic destruction of the spiritual and cultural roots of the Taiwanese people.

1937 After the outbreak of full-scale war between China and Japan Japan is accelerating its pro-Japanization movement in Taiwan.

Taiwanese people are being forced to speak only Japanese.

Using Mandarin and Taiwanese dialects They will all be fined.

Do not use Japanese You can't even buy a train ticket.

The school also prohibited the offering of Chinese language courses.

Taiwanese people must give up their Chinese names Adopt a Japanese surname Ancestor worship is prohibited Must convert to Japanese Shinto at the same time Japan also implemented a strict system of racial discrimination against Taiwan.

Taiwanese people have food rationing His earnings were only half that of the Japanese.

Performing the same work But the salary is lower.

Large enterprises and resources are all controlled by Japanese zaibatsu.

Taiwan was merely a major rear area for Japan to plunder raw materials and supply war materials.

The Taiwanese people back then No matter how much talent you have In the local bureaucratic system The highest position one can hold is a grassroots position at the village level.

During fifty years of colonial rule You can hold a position at the state or county level.

Those are very few and far between.

You could even say that Japanese people's views on Koreans Actually, it's much better than treating Taiwanese people.

In the then-Korean colonial government Li Wanyong, a notorious collaborator His highest official position He became the prime minister of the colonial government.

Moreover, he was granted the title of nobleman by the Emperor.

In the colonial government of Taiwan The most famous collaborator Koo Hsien-jung, who guided the Japanese army to occupy Taiwan in 1895 He dedicated his entire life to Japan.

Betrayed countless Taiwanese people But in the end, he only managed to become a member of the Council of the Governor-General of Taiwan.

What level?

That's equivalent to our CPPCC members today.

It's nothing.

During World War II Taiwan was also used as a blood bank by Japan.

Countless Taiwanese youths were sent to the battlefield by Japan.

Serving in wars of aggression In this regard...

Japan has accurate records.

A total of 207,183 people were recruited in Taiwan.

When the war ended A total of 30,304 people died in battle.

The sacrifices made by Taiwanese people during the Japanese invasion It can be described as very big.

But they were merely used as cannon fodder by the Japanese.

There's almost no chance of him becoming an officer.

We can compare them.

Hong Sa-ik, a Korean He rose to the rank of lieutenant general in the Japanese Army.

He was even awarded a title and honors by the Emperor.

The highest rank held by a Taiwanese in the Japanese army That is, Zhong Qianshun He became a major.

Or in charge of logistics So Taiwanese during the Japanese colonial era In the eyes of the Japanese They weren't even second-class citizens.

Of course!

Japanese construction projects in Taiwan We also have no reason to shy away from this.

Just like Japan did during its colonial periods in Manchuria and Korea, and...

They've generally done a good job.

but They are doing these construction projects The most fundamental purpose was to serve Japan's imperial expansion at the time.

He was clearly not acting in the best interests of Taiwanese, Northeasterners, or North Koreans.

This matter...

Just like Qin Shi Huang's standardization of writing and cart axle width Building straight roads and developing water conservancy projects are similar.

These measures...

Objectively speaking, they're not bad at all.

It has profoundly influenced the course of Chinese history.

At that time, Qin Shi Huang did these things Do you think he did it for the happiness of the common people?

That's obviously not the case.

His aim was for the eternal stability of the Qin Empire.

If he had even a shred of concern for the people...

He wouldn't be swayed by a prophecy carved on a meteorite predicting the fall of the Qin Dynasty.

They slaughtered all the people within a radius of dozens of miles!

He would not allow hundreds of thousands of laborers to build his unprecedented mausoleum.

Today, we can objectively evaluate Qin Shi Huang's achievements.

But you absolutely cannot say that Qin Shi Huang's era was much better than today.

Because of that era You're nothing more than a slave who builds tombs.

So Lai Ching-te's beautiful dream of the Japanese colonial era It doesn't actually exist.

You can give an objective evaluation But to say that it was the best era in Taiwan's history...

That's the King of Hell telling stories to deceive ghosts.

Being colonized is not shameful However, if we are to satirize the atrocities of the colonizers...

This is not only a betrayal of history.

It is an insult to our ancestors.

Having finished discussing the Japanese colonial era Let's talk about the era of the Kuomintang's authoritarian rule.

There's no need to deny it.

Kuomintang retreats to Taiwan In order to consolidate rule It also implemented a long period of white terror.

The most famous one, and the one the DPP talks about every day.

It was the February 28 Incident of 1947.

When Kuomintang monopoly bureau tea technicians were cracking down on smuggled cigarettes in Taipei City Injured cigarette vendor Accidental killing of civilians This aroused widespread public outrage February 28th Citizens strike, boycott, and go on strike Violent protests also broke out across Taiwan.

Kuomintang troops opened fire to suppress Heavy casualties According to the 2021 Taiwan official report on the truth of the February 28 Incident and transitional justice.

The total death toll is between eight thousand and 11,000.

After February 28 In order to consolidate its rule Martial law, which lasted for thirty-eight years, began.

Throughout the martial law period The number of political prisoners executed was between three and four thousand.

Including many underground members of the Chinese Communist Party These killings were similar to the massacres perpetrated by the Japanese.

These are all real historical traumas.

But if we're going to say that...

The Kuomintang was even worse than the Japanese.

That's not true.

After Chiang Kai-shek arrived in Taiwan After painful reflection By purchasing land from landlords and distributing it to peasants and rent reduction of 37.5% It has achieved the goal of ensuring that farmers have their own land and people have their own houses.

Afterwards, Chiang Ching-kuo spearheaded the Ten Major Construction Projects.

It laid the foundation for Taiwan's industrialization.

The miracle of the Four Asian Tigers was achieved.

The most, most, most important thing is...

Even during the Kuomintang authoritarian period He still formally followed the Constitution of the Republic of China in 1947.

To a certain extent, it allows for local autonomy, local elections, and non-party movements.

These were key factors in Taiwan's subsequent successful democratization.

Especially Chiang Ching-kuo That made an even greater contribution to Taiwan's democracy.

September 1986 When the Democratic Progressive Party was founded...

The Taiwan Garrison Command at the time compiled a list of people to be arrested.

The report was prepared to be submitted to Chiang Ching-kuo to advocate for a strong crackdown on the Democratic Progressive Party.

But Chiang Ching-kuo immediately rejected it.

He said arresting people wouldn't solve the problem.

If Chiang Ching-kuo had actually wiped out the Democratic Progressive Party back then...

Where is Lai Ching-te's comeback today?

After Chiang Ching-kuo decided to lift the ban on political parties and newspapers His policy advisor questioned the move.

This will cause the Kuomintang to lose power.

That's what Chiang Ching-kuo said.

There is no ruling party in the world that lasts forever.

It was precisely because of Chiang Ching-kuo's series of reforms This established the irreversible direction of democracy in Taiwan.

I know some viewers will say this when they see this.

Without the relentless struggle of the Taiwanese people Where are the concessions made by the Kuomintang and Chiang Ching-kuo?

That's one way to put it.

But everyone can think about it.

The struggle of the people of mainland China for democracy and freedom Has it been less than Taiwan over the past seventy years?

The blood shed by the people of mainland China Are there fewer heads lost in Taiwan than in other parts of the world?

Political prisoners still in prison That's still number one in the world!

But why hasn't the mainland successfully completed its transformation?

Because the people of mainland China are facing the Communist Party.

If Chiang Ching-kuo had chosen the same methods Deng Xiaoping used in 1989...

The process of Taiwan's democratization would never have resulted in what it is today.

Perhaps democratization can ultimately be achieved.

But there will definitely be more bleeding.

Pay a higher price This is precisely what makes Chiang Ching-kuo great.

We all know that human nature is selfish.

From ancient times to the present The allure of power is the greatest.

That's a much bigger temptation than flesh and drugs!

Few people in power will voluntarily relinquish power.

Chiang Ching-kuo was able to adapt to the times Voluntarily relinquishing the power accumulated by the Chiang family regime over decades What about returning power to the people?

It is extremely difficult.

To put it bluntly...

If Chiang Ching-kuo had learned from the Communist Party I will not lift martial law.

I just won't change my approach.

At that time, there was still a bunch of useless opponents.

What can we do to him?

So The democracy and freedom that Taiwan enjoys today It was indeed the result of countless Taiwanese people's relentless struggle.

However, it must also be acknowledged The decisive role played by the Kuomintang and Chiang Ching-kuo's initiative to relinquish power and transform their political landscape Regardless of their initial considerations...

However, a gentleman judges actions, not intentions.

Taiwanese people should give the Kuomintang a fair evaluation.

Lai Ching-te is a beneficiary of Taiwan's democratization process.

As the successors of the peaceful transition of the Republic of China Enjoying the economic foundation laid by Chiang Ching-kuo Enjoying the democratic process initiated by the Kuomintang But then they turned around and said that the colonial era was much better than the Kuomintang era.

This is so ungrateful!

It's not that he doesn't understand history Rather, he was too calculating.

Because only by portraying the Kuomintang as villains even worse than the Japanese can this be achieved.

His de-Sinicization only has a moral basis.

Why do I say that?

Taiwan election debate at the end of 2023 Lai Ching-te once said something that left people speechless.

He said the Constitution of the Republic of China was a disaster.

Treat the Republic of China as the guardian mountain of both sides of the Taiwan Strait Is it ultimately about promoting peace?

It will still bring disaster to Taiwan.

A person running for president under the Constitution of the Republic of China To say this constitution is a disaster This was an accident!

This exposes the DPP's true intentions.

The framework of the Constitution of the Republic of China It contains a basic Chinese framework.

This is precisely the obstacle that the DPP finds most difficult to overcome in its push for de jure Taiwan independence.

In the eyes of the Democratic Progressive Party The Constitution of the Republic of China It's not a shield, but a binding spell.

This is why Lai Ching-te has repeatedly stated publicly.

The Republic of China, established in 1911, no longer exists.

What he wanted to do It's just giving Taiwanese independence a new legal shell.

To do this successfully He must reconstruct this historical perspective centered on Taiwan itself.

To glorify Japan's colonial rule as a co-prosperous society with a historical mission They portrayed the Kuomintang's rule as a tyranny worse than colonialism, and then what?

This is to sever the historical and cultural ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Demonstrating the historical inevitability of Taiwan's independence Lai Ching-te's opening remarks That was his intention.

actually Lai Ching-te's actions in this regard There have been many before.

For example, May 2025 President Lai Ching-te made a special appearance at a commemorative event.

Whom are we commemorating?

Yoichi Hatta, an engineer from the Japanese colonial era Lai Ching-te said The relationship between Taiwan and Japan More than just friends More like family Yoichi Hatta was indeed someone who contributed to the development of Taiwan's colonial power.

But after all, he served the Japanese colonial government.

Whether it deserves such a high rating is another matter.

Because so many people have contributed to Taiwan.

I've never seen Lai Ching-te go to pay his respects.

Lai Ching-te's tireless advocacy for figures from the colonial era speaks volumes.

He wants to construct a new historical perspective on Taiwan.

Actually, since the DPP came to power...

De-Sinicization has transformed from a slogan into a systematic project.

In education New Curriculum Syllabus He has significantly condensed the content of Chinese history.

From the Shang and Zhou Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties Two thousand four hundred years of history.

Compressed to just over a thousand words Like Gu Yanwu's famous essay "Shame and Integrity".

Fan Zhongyan's famous essay "Yueyang Tower" and so on They have all been removed from textbooks.

Even Anping Fort, where Zheng Chenggong stationed his troops after recovering Taiwan.

It has now been renamed.

It was transformed into the ruins of Fort Zeelandia, which has a strong colonial character.

Many statues of Japanese colonialists were toppled after Taiwan's retrocession.

It has also been reintroduced into public museums. In terms of narrative?

In his inaugural address, Lai Ching-te claimed...

1624 Starting from Tainan, Taiwan This marked the beginning of Taiwan's globalization.

What happened in 1624?

This marked the beginning of the Dutch colonization of Taiwan.

In the DPP's new historical perspective on Taiwan All historical moments that led to contact with the mainland All must be suppressed or eliminated Everything related to the outside world Even the arrival of foreign colonizers All of these can be packaged as Taiwan's glory on the world stage.

to be honest Taiwan needs to build its own ethnic identity This is not a problem.

But there's no need to erase history and deny our ancestors.

You want to split up the family Must we portray our brothers, sisters, and fellow villagers as completely unrelated and utterly useless?

Unable to be family There's no need to become enemies then.

This political maneuvering to de-Sinicize...

In reality It turned into hatred and suppression of mainland Chinese people by the system.

The most specific example This refers to the DPP's long-standing discriminatory treatment of mainland spouses.

There are more than 300,000 mainland spouses in Taiwan.

Women who married from the mainland They married Taiwanese men Living in Taiwan Raising Taiwanese children However, they faced obvious differential discrimination within the system.

Other foreign spouses can apply for an ID card after residing in Taiwan for four years.

Mainland spouses will have to wait a full six years.

And also There are still many restrictions on social rights.

Some mainland spouses said the wrong thing They've even been deported recently!

This kind of differential treatment...

On the surface, he cited national security as the reason.

Actually It's about labeling mainland spouses.

Turning it into a potential political threat This is intended to send a signal to Taiwanese society that mainlanders are the enemy.

so The DPP's policies are not as they claim.

It is to resist the infiltration of the CCP.

Defend Taiwan What they are resisting is all connection with the mainland.

What they're protecting is the DPP's monopoly.

Even if you are Taiwanese As long as we express even a little goodwill towards the mainland Even if it has no connection whatsoever with the Communist Party You will also be criticized.

This is no longer just about being anti-communist.

It is blatant anti-China and anti-humanitarianism.

But I have to say...

The DPP's approach of glorifying colonialism De-Sinicization strategy It did indeed have a significant effect.

You all probably remember last month, right?

A very significant event has occurred in Japan.

A Taiwanese mother and daughter traveling to Tokyo While taking photos at the famous Instagrammable spot, Shibuya intersection in Tokyo.

He was deliberately knocked to the ground by a woman wearing a mask.

Extremely bad After this incident went viral online...

Including the Japanese Everyone is condemning the perpetrator.

But in Taiwan However, a considerable number of DPP supporters On the contrary, the online trolls exposed the mother and daughter who were victims. It's wrong to say they took photos at the intersection in Shibuya.

He deserved to be hit.

Finally...

This actually forced the victim's mother to apologize online.

How absurd is this victim-blaming mentality!

To this extent, they've become so pro-Japanese.

This has exceeded the basic limits of normal human nature.

Even more Even the history of comfort women is being glorified.

As everyone knows The Japanese army in Taiwan, Korea and mainland China at that time They forcibly conscripted countless women to serve as comfort women.

This matter is still being condemned to this day.

There's nothing to whitewash.

It's impossible to clear your name.

And what was the result?

The Democratic Progressive Party has a spokesperson named Dai Weishan.

When she was on an online program She said that her grandmother and maternal grandmother both volunteered to be comfort women.

I was not insulted at all Voluntarily serving as comfort women If your grandma and maternal grandma are still alive I wouldn't be at a loss to slap you twice.

Is that even human language?

I'd like to say a few more words on this topic today.

How should we view colonial history?

For a long time There is a saying online The colonization by Western powers, including Japan, in those years It brought civilized systems to the local area.

It has brought about various achievements in modern construction.

That's much better than autocracy.

We should affirm rather than criticize Before I state my opinion...

Let's first compare Taiwan and South Korea.

Both Taiwan and South Korea were once Japanese colonies.

Taiwan was ruled by Japan for fifty years Korea was ruled for thirty-five years During the colonial period Both places experienced infrastructure construction and forced labor.

Cultural cleansing and various bloody repressions According to the logic of the colonizers' merits Therefore, the legacy left by the Japanese colonizers should be the key to the development of these two places.

But the reality is...

After Taiwan and Korea gained independence from Japanese colonial rule They achieved far greater success than the colonial era entirely on their own.

GDP per capita increased from $700 during the Japanese colonial period It had reached $37,800 by 2025.

South Korea is even more outrageous.

From a state of extreme poverty with a per capita GDP of $87 in 1962 In 2025, the per capita GDP reached US$37,500.

At the same time As the former suzerain state of Japan In 2025, its GDP per capita was $35,000.

In other words, he has been overtaken by both Taiwan and South Korea.

These data points are put together This illustrates a simple truth.

The same ethnic group After gaining the right to independent development by freeing themselves from colonizers Creativity unleashed under a democratic system Far surpassing their achievements during the colonial period.

The prosperity of Taiwan and South Korea today It is not a legacy of Japanese colonialism.

It was achieved through the hard work of the people in both places.

Let me talk about Hong Kong and Singapore.

Britain as a model of colonization His governance of the colonies That's much more civilized than the Japanese.

Although he also restricted the political rights of the colonists, but...

At least they didn't carry out a massacre.

There will be no forced assimilation.

In areas such as the rule of law, free trade, and property rights protection They all left behind very comprehensive institutional frameworks.

so The subsequent rise of Hong Kong and Singapore It is indeed related to British colonization.

No one can deny this.

But as everyone knows...

Britain colonized many Third World countries at that time.

Colonies can be said to be all over the world.

Most backward colonies In the decades following independence The problem remains deeply entrenched and difficult to reverse.

India is mired in poverty He only started out in the last twenty years.

Really achieved great economic success Truly among developed economies Only Hong Kong and Singapore Both inherited the British legal system.

Why are Hong Kong and Singapore so successful?

It's obvious.

This is closely related to the fact that both places are predominantly Chinese.

The Chinese community is known for its hard work, resilience, and law-abiding behavior.

He only needs a suitable institutional environment He couldn't possibly have a bad life.

Chinese people all over the world No matter which place you choose That's how it is.

One generation suffers The second generation can turn things around Don't even mention the British rule of law environment.

Look at China's reform and opening up now!

Even under communist dictatorship where freedom is severely restricted They only granted the Chinese a little bit of freedom in the economic sphere.

This has created the world's second-largest economy.

Can you say that this achievement belongs to the Communist Party?

Is it Deng Xiaoping's?

Is it Xi Jinping's?

Of course not This is an achievement of the Chinese people.

Therefore, the success of Hong Kong and Singapore Ultimately, it is the success of hardworking, law-abiding people.

Rather than the success of the colonizers We should fully affirm the positive impact of colonizers.

However, his main achievements were always created by the local people.

So when we look at colonial history...

We should and must be objective.

Merits should be publicized.

Even if you have something to say, you should still talk about it.

However, there is no need to romanticize colonial history entirely.

Moreover Out of natural national sentiment People all over the world Regardless of ethnicity or country He has an innate aversion to foreign rule.

There are various reasons why a country is backward.

However, if we attribute it solely to race...

Blaming ancestors It can be attributed to the lack of a master civilization.

This kind of forgetting one's roots It won't make us seem rational.

It would only make us look foolish and mean.

After saying so much...

Back to the initial question Why did Lai Ching-te make these remarks in March 2025?

The answer isn't actually that complicated.

Symposium on the 30th Anniversary of Taiwan's Direct Presidential Election This is an excellent opportunity to unite Taiwanese identity.

In this context glorifying Japanese colonialism vilifying the Kuomintang There is only one goal.

Continue to widen the historical and emotional distance between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait To build a foundation of public opinion for the next political maneuver.

This is something the DPP has used for decades.

A set of operations that has been mastered to a high degree The problem is Where is this operation trying to lead Taiwan?

Public opinion on the mainland It's actually different from the DPP's propaganda.

A poll conducted a few days ago by the Carter Center in the United States in cooperation with a Chinese polling company A large-scale survey Two thousand five hundred adults from the continent were interviewed.

In terms of emotional ratings towards Taiwan The average score given by respondents was 62.

One hundred points is the maximum score In other words...

The overall sentiment of mainland Chinese people towards Taiwan It tends to be positive.

In terms of ways to improve cross-strait relations The approach most supported by respondents was to strengthen cultural exchanges and economic and trade interactions.

Instead of unification by force The truth revealed by this opinion poll The Democratic Progressive Party has long instilled in Taiwanese people the idea that the mainland population is on full alert for war.

The scenario of seizing the island is completely different.

The real issue between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait It has always been the political system that creates this divide.

Instead of the hatred fabricated by politicians Most mainland Chinese and Taiwanese If there's a chance to sit down and have a drink I reckon most of the conversation was about everyday things, food, and kids.

It will absolutely not be about unification or independence.

Of course!

This poll also revealed a very worrying aspect.

Compared to the survey conducted in early 2025...

Support the proportion of animals under no circumstances.

It dropped from 51% to 38%.

In other words Public opinion against unification by force is narrowing.

This situation occurs It is precisely because of the DPP's one-sided hatred of China and its efforts to de-Sinicize China over the past two years This has led to a change in public opinion on the mainland.

Lai Ching-te and the DPP's biggest problem It's not actually a political stance.

Rather, it is populist ambition.

Every political party has the right to assert what it considers the correct political stance.

Even if that stance is to pursue Taiwan independence However, the way the Democratic Progressive Party pursues its goals He did it by continuously creating fear.

Amplify the opposition Manipulating ethnic sentiments This is a typical tactic of populist political parties.

History has proven time and again The Cost of Populist Politics These burdens are all borne by ordinary people.

When politicians use external tensions as a tool to deflect attention from their own problems...

When loving Taiwan is defined as necessarily hating everything related to mainland China Therefore, all that is accumulating in this society is division and exhaustion.

People of mainland China We have no choice in our own destiny.

Whether it's people who yearn for systemic change People who are still dissatisfied with the status quo across the Taiwan Strait In that kind of environment on the mainland...

Their voices were extremely limited.

However, Taiwanese people have channels for expression and the right to vote.

This is Taiwan's most precious thing.

It was something that countless people fought for.

The significance of a vote lies in the fact that the people can use it to correct mistakes.

Correct those politicians who place their own power above the interests of the people.

Correct those policy directions that push cross-strait relations toward unnecessary dangers.

Americans elected Trump in 2016.

There was an opportunity to correct the mistake four years later.

However, he was sent back to the White House again in 2024.

The cost of this choice is now clear to everyone.

The whole world is bearing the burden The situation for Taiwanese people is even more dangerous.

Taiwan doesn't have the size and resources of the United States.

The cost of making mistakes may be much higher than the cost of mistakes made by Americans.

Taiwan's most fundamental interest is not to preserve the DPP's rule.

Realizing Lai Ching-te's vision of independence Rather, it is to preserve Taiwan's hard-won democracy, freedom, and peace.

Cross-strait relations have reached this point.

A great deal of misunderstanding, fear, and antagonism has accumulated.

These problems There is no easy answer.

It is also impossible to resolve in a short period of time.

But one thing is clear.

A person who reads history backwards Treating colonizers as benefactors Treating cultural roots as shackles A political line that treats exchanges between people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait as a threat.

He is definitely not protecting Taiwan.

Instead, it is gradually depleting Taiwan's most precious resources.

That is the inclusiveness and self-confidence built up over decades of democratization.

Mao Zedong thanked Japan for its invasion back then.

It was because the Japanese invasion did indeed help him seize power.

Lai Ching-te is now grateful for Japanese colonialism.

It's because severing ties with history does indeed help him achieve de jure Taiwan independence.

Essentially These are all manifestations of placing party interests and personal interests above national interests.

We all hope for a better future for both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

This future does not need to build identity by glorifying colonizers.

There's no need to belittle oneself to prove one's worth.

It doesn't matter who it is.

The important thing is that we must first be upright people.

good That concludes today's commentary.

Thank you for watching.

See you next time!