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Conservatism in Taiwan is a broad political philosophy that espouses the identification of theRepublic of China (ROC) government on the island of Taiwan as the legitimate ruler of all of China as opposed to the current rule of the Chinese mainland and their competing claims by thePeople's Republic of China (PRC).
It adopted theOne China policy and the1992 Consensus as a basis for Taiwan's security and economic development, as opposed toTaiwanization and Taiwanese sovereignty. Fundamental conservative ideas are grounded inConfucian values and strands of Chinese philosophy associated withSun Yat-sen's teachings, a large centralized government that intervenes closely in the lives of individuals on both social and economic levels and the construction of a unifiedSinocentric national identity. Conservative ideology in Taiwan constitutes the character and policies of theKuomintang (KMT) and that of thePan-Blue camp against the progressive Taiwanese nationalistDemocratic Progressive Party and thePan-Green camp.
There are four basic elements ofConfucianism which apply to conservatist governance. ThePaternalistic State entails top-down decision making under the notion that the “Father is the head of the house, and likewise, the state the head of society.” Leaders possessjen, a supreme virtue representing human qualities at their best, which determines their right to rule. The idea of social order and harmony translates into the assumption of the benevolent state –ren/humaneness, with which civil society works together –shu/reciprocity, rather than oppose, monitor, and scrutinize.[1]
Many of the Kuomintang's policies were inspired by its founderSun Yat-sen’s vision, and hisThree Principles of the People: nationalism (民族主義), democracy (民權主義) and people’s livelihood (民生主義). The Three Principles combine to make Taiwan a free, powerful, and prosperous nation although they are selectively interpreted in a specific context which deviates from Sun Yat-sen's original intent. For example, during Chiang Kai-shek’s rule and much ofChiang Ching-kuo’s, theauthoritarian state overshadowed democracy by censoring the people’s voice. However, most of his political ideas which were later adapted by his successors in governing Taiwan included equalization of land ownership, learning Chinese traditional morality through Confucian values, and the regulation of state capital by national corporations.[2]
Domestically, conservatism within the KMT treads a thin line. Most Chinese nationalists in the party insist that it is the “real” China, advocating unification under the ROC through military force (during Chiang era) or through peaceful means by cross-straits interactions (present era), implemting Sun's Three Principles as the governing ideology in all of China and Taiwan, sticking to ROC-legalism, anti-communism, opposing unification efforts by mainland China and opposing Taiwanese localist movements.
The rise of apan-Taiwanese independence movement by younger members, that does not acknowledge the 1992 consensus and hence claims that Taiwan is already an independent country, has challenged the status quo and ROC legitimacy.[3] The KMT advocated maintaining pragmatic diplomacy to maintain cross-straits peace, participate in international institutions, maintaining diplomatic ties, signing economic deals et.. which foreseeably involves drawing Taiwan closer to the powerful communist mainland, and earning the disdain and ire of a vigilant populace. To further exacerbating this tension, the KMT has also suffered from undemocratic perceptions with its opaque tendencies, after its evasion of a clause by clause review of theCross-Strait Service Trade Agreement, which prompted theSunflower Student Movement to damage the party's credibility.[4]
In recent years, the KMT has been gradually falling out of China's favor. Following theKMT election loss of 2016, the KMT began to shift its pro-China policy towards the median to better represent the view of the electorate. In short, it began campaigning under the ideal of dual identity, which included both “Chinese” and “Taiwanese” citizens. However, this change in the party line was criticized by China, which it perceived as capitulating to localist forces.[5]
Lee Teng-hui, president of the Republic of China from 1988 to 2000, was a member of the conservative Kuomintang when he took office and led Taiwan's democratizing reforms. He sought to "Taiwanize" the Kuomintang (or Chinese Nationalist Party). After Lee endorsed the candidates of the newly formed Pan-Green Taiwan Solidarity Union, a party established by a number of his KMT allies, Lee was expelled from the KMT on 21 September 2001.[6] Lee is known as a devout Christian. In 2014, there was a controversy when he expressed hisnegationist views onNanjing Massacre andComfort women, sensitive issues in Korea and China, in the Japanese magazine SAPIO published byShogakukan.[7]
TheTaiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) is politically conservative pan-Green party, which opposestransgender rights.[8][9] Unlike TSU, other progressive pan-Green parties support LGBT rights.[10]
TheTaiwanese Localism Front, a radical anti-communist organization, is also referred to as far-right. It is strongly opposed to China and defendsmilitarist policies.[11]
Some Chinese nationalists, called "radical pro-unification factions", disillusioned with the increasing successful localization efforts to Taiwanize the ROC and dissatisfied with theKuomintang's policy changes, have begun to advocate the ethnic nationalist notion that the PRC represent the "true" China and thePeople's Liberation Army should use military force to "liberate" Taiwan to stop such efforts and pose a physical threat toTaiwanese nationalists, moderate democrats in the KMT and Chinese dissidents in Taiwan. Because the PRC is a one-party dictatorship, pro-Beijing conservatism in Taiwan, a liberal democracy, is sometimes described as "far-right".[12]
Known examples of pro-Beijing right-wing parties include theChinese Unification Promotion Party,[12]Patriot Alliance Association,[12]For Public Good Party,[13][14] andNew Party.[15][16] However, within the pro-Beijing camp, there are also leftist, socialist / communist parties, including theLabor Party,Taiwan Democratic Communist Party andTaiwan People's Communist Party.
Kuomintang continues to be opposed to communism, as anti-communism is written under Article 2 of Kuomintang's party charter. However, some politicians, includingHung Hsiu-chu, are classified as "pro-Beijing".[17][18] The organized crime groups in Taiwan, driven by financial incentives also support the PRC unification efforts.
AlthoughTaiwan People's Party (TPP) positions itself as acentrist party, its cooperative relationship with the PRC has prompted belief that it aligns more closely with the conservatism.[19][20]
The Conservative parties in Taiwan or the so-called "pan-blue camp" includes the Kuomintang (KMT), thePeople First Party (PFP) and theNew Party (NP). However, conservative parties in Taiwan do not always belong to pan-blue camp.
The Kuomintang is the main conservative party and currently is the largest opposition party in the Legislative Yuan, with 52 seats.[21]
People's First Party is a liberal conservative party, founded by former KMT General Secretary and Taiwan Provincial GovernorJames Soong after the 2000 presidential elections.[21]
![Chiang Kai-shek[22]](/image.pl?url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2f%2fupload.wikimedia.org%2fwikipedia%2fcommons%2fthumb%2f2%2f27%2f%25E8%2594%25A3%25E4%25B8%25AD%25E6%25AD%25A3%25E7%25B8%25BD%25E7%25B5%25B1%25E7%258E%2589%25E7%2585%25A7.png%2f120px-%25E8%2594%25A3%25E4%25B8%25AD%25E6%25AD%25A3%25E7%25B8%25BD%25E7%25B5%25B1%25E7%258E%2589%25E7%2585%25A7.png&f=jpg&w=240)
![Chiang Ching-kuo[23]](/image.pl?url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2f%2fupload.wikimedia.org%2fwikipedia%2fcommons%2fthumb%2f2%2f2b%2fPortrait_of_Chiang_Ching-kuo.jpg%2f120px-Portrait_of_Chiang_Ching-kuo.jpg&f=jpg&w=240)
![Hau Pei-tsun[24]](/image.pl?url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2f%2fupload.wikimedia.org%2fwikipedia%2fcommons%2fthumb%2fd%2fda%2f%25E9%2583%259D%25E6%259F%258F%25E6%259D%2591%25E9%2599%25A2%25E9%2595%25B7.jpg%2f120px-%25E9%2583%259D%25E6%259F%258F%25E6%259D%2591%25E9%2599%25A2%25E9%2595%25B7.jpg&f=jpg&w=240)
![Ma Ying-jeou[25]](/image.pl?url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2f%2fupload.wikimedia.org%2fwikipedia%2fcommons%2fthumb%2fe%2fe4%2f%25E4%25B8%25AD%25E8%258F%25AF%25E6%25B0%2591%25E5%259C%258B%25E7%25AC%25AC12%25E3%2580%258113%25E4%25BB%25BB%25E7%25B8%25BD%25E7%25B5%25B1%25E9%25A6%25AC%25E8%258B%25B1%25E4%25B9%259D%25E5%2585%2588%25E7%2594%259F%25E5%25AE%2598%25E6%2596%25B9%25E8%2582%2596%25E5%2583%258F%25E7%2585%25A7.jpg%2f120px-%25E4%25B8%25AD%25E8%258F%25AF%25E6%25B0%2591%25E5%259C%258B%25E7%25AC%25AC12%25E3%2580%258113%25E4%25BB%25BB%25E7%25B8%25BD%25E7%25B5%25B1%25E9%25A6%25AC%25E8%258B%25B1%25E4%25B9%259D%25E5%2585%2588%25E7%2594%259F%25E5%25AE%2598%25E6%2596%25B9%25E8%2582%2596%25E5%2583%258F%25E7%2585%25A7.jpg&f=jpg&w=240)
![Hung Hsiu-chu[26]](/image.pl?url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2f%2fupload.wikimedia.org%2fwikipedia%2fcommons%2fthumb%2f8%2f88%2f%25E6%25B4%25AA%25E7%25A7%2580%25E6%259F%25B1%25E5%2589%25AF%25E9%2599%25A2%25E9%2595%25B7.jpg%2f120px-%25E6%25B4%25AA%25E7%25A7%2580%25E6%259F%25B1%25E5%2589%25AF%25E9%2599%25A2%25E9%2595%25B7.jpg&f=jpg&w=240)
![Jaw Shaw-kong[27]](/image.pl?url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2f%2fupload.wikimedia.org%2fwikipedia%2fcommons%2fthumb%2fd%2fd7%2f%25E8%25B6%2599%25E5%25B0%2591%25E5%25BA%25B7%25E5%2589%25AF%25E7%25B8%25BD%25E7%25B5%25B1%25E5%2580%2599%25E9%2581%25B8%25E4%25BA%25BA.jpg%2f120px-%25E8%25B6%2599%25E5%25B0%2591%25E5%25BA%25B7%25E5%2589%25AF%25E7%25B8%25BD%25E7%25B5%25B1%25E5%2580%2599%25E9%2581%25B8%25E4%25BA%25BA.jpg&f=jpg&w=240)
![Han Kuo-yu[28]](/image.pl?url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2f%2fupload.wikimedia.org%2fwikipedia%2fcommons%2fthumb%2fb%2fba%2f%25E7%25AB%258B%25E6%25B3%2595%25E9%2599%25A2%25E9%2595%25B7%25E9%259F%2593%25E5%259C%258B%25E7%2591%259C.jpg%2f120px-%25E7%25AB%258B%25E6%25B3%2595%25E9%2599%25A2%25E9%2595%25B7%25E9%259F%2593%25E5%259C%258B%25E7%2591%259C.jpg&f=jpg&w=240)
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), which currently holds no seats in the Legislative Yuan but has historically positioned itself as a politically conservative pan-Green party, has taken a stance against trans rights with recent actions.
In the lead-up to the US presidential election, Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Chairwoman Chou Ni-an (周倪安) published an op-ed proclaiming that "'Conservative Values' Will Be Significant Factor Deciding US Election." Being self-described as a conservative Taiwanese independence party, TSU was the first minor political party in Taiwan to (unsuccessfully) attempt campaigning on a platform against transgender rights.
標榜大中國民族主義，屬於極右的愛國同心會和統促黨則完全不同，...[The far-right Patriot Alliance Association and Chinese Unification Promotion Party, which advocates Chinese ultra-nationalism, is completely different, ...]
Peng, the DPP's pro-independence challenger, secured 21%, while pro-Beijing New Party candidate Ling Tang-Kang polled only 15%.
The New Party, which split from the KMT in 1994, is a conservative party and on the far Right.
With the more moderate members of the KMT seemingly standing by, Hung has forged ahead with a radical pro-Beijing policy that has much in common with the pro-unification New Party.
保守的,當時黨內出現「開明派」與「保守派」之爭,前者力主反共政策應當調整,黨禁、報禁必須開放,否則就得不到民心,後者則以國家安全為訴求,強調「安全第一、秩序第一,領導權威不容懷疑」等,蔣經國明顯是站在保守派這一邊,而保守派的代表人就是王昇 ...
Hou is a policeman-turned-mayor, while Jaw is a conservative media commentator.
Han Kuo-yu, seen by many as the 'Taiwanese Trump' due to his populist appeal to conservative social values
