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William Zheng

Beijing has criticised Taiwan’s failed recall vote as a “political manipulation” that was “completely contrary” to the will of the people.
In Saturday’s vote, all 24 lawmakers from the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) survived the recall attempt backed by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Chen Binhua, a spokesman for mainland China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, criticised the DPP for “repeatedly provoking political strife” at the expense of Taiwanese people’s well-being, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Chen also said the DPP wanted a one-party monopoly and “real authoritarianism”, while resorting to every means of suppressing political dissent and trying to create a “green terror” – a reference to the colour favoured by independence-leaning parties.
“The voting results show that the political manipulation of the DPP is completely contrary to the people’s will on the island and is unpopular,” he added.
Beijing regards Taiwan as an integral part of China and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control.
The Chinese mainland has intensified its political, economic and military pressure on Taiwan since the DPP’s William Lai Ching-te – whom Beijing regards as a separatist – was elected as the island’s leader last year.
Most countries, including Taiwan’s main international supporter the United States, do not recognise the island as an independent state. However, Washington is committed to supplying Taiwan with defensive weapons and opposes any attempt to take the island by force.


The recall campaign from civic groups and the DPP had aimed to root out “pro-China forces” from the legislature, but all of the lawmakers targeted in Saturday’s vote survived.
The result means that the KMT will still have the most seats in the Legislative Yuan, where it holds 52 seats compared with the DPP’s 51, but it can also count on the support of the smaller Taiwan People’s Party.
Analysts have described the failed recall vote as a serious political miscalculation. Another seven KMT lawmakers will face similar votes on August 23, but they are widely expected to win their votes.
At a press conference held at the KMT’s headquarters in Taipei, party chairman Eric Chu Li-luan said the outcome showed that Taiwan’s democracy was “mature and great”, adding that the outcome was “a great victory for all the people of Taiwan, rather than for a single political party”.
Voters chose a “stable society and a functional government” over political infighting, he added.
Taiwan’s United Microelectronics Corp founder Robert Tsao Hsing-chen, an initiator of the recall voting campaign, said the outcome was “not as expected”.
He blamed “long-term infiltration” by mainland China’s Communist Party and its united front work for the failure of the campaign.


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China

Beijing criticises the Taipei government following Saturday's failed attempt to remove mainland-friendly KMT legislators


Beijing criticises the Taipei government following Saturday's failed attempt to remove mainland-friendly KMT legislators.


Taiwan election 2024

Kuomintang

Chen Binhua

Eric Chu Li-luan

Mainland China says Taiwan’s failed recall vote shows how ‘political manipulation’ failed

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Beijing criticises the Taipei government following Saturday's failed attempt to remove mainland-friendly KMT legislators

Beijing criticises the Taipei government following Saturday's failed attempt to remove mainland-friendly KMT legislators