The Kuomintang (KMT) chairmanship election has concluded with former Chairman Eric Chu the winner. Chu received 80,5164 party member votes, or 45.78 percent of the total number of votes, making him the first elected chairman receiving less than a majority of the votes since the chairman became elected by popular vote in 2001.  

Chu stated that starting from his night of victory, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will be concerned! In his victory speech, Chu emphasized that he will unite with the other three candidates, including Chang Ya-chung, Johnny Chiang, and Cho Po-yuan. Chu plans to lead the party to be unprecedentedly united and full of combat power. Since blue is the symbolic color of the party, Chu declared the party to be “the winning blue.”

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After a close chase by Chang Ya-chung, Eric Chu narrowly won yesterday’s Kuomintang (KMT) chairmanship election, supposedly by asking voters to abandon the incumbent Chairman Johnny Chiang to elect himself. Chu, who formerly served as chairman from 2015 to 2016, was again elected KMT chairman after leaving office six years. However, Chu got 196,000 votes in 2015 with almost 100 percent of the votes, but this time he got 80,000 some votes with about 46 percent of the votes. The gap was very big. The enormous change in six years not only reflects that the KMT has not unified itself after losing the 2020 presidential election but also indicates that many party members are still doubtful about Chu’s willpower to fight and his leadership. How to rebuild party members’ confidence and the KMT’s appeal is Chu’s inescapable duty.

In this election, Chu and Chiang faced fierce challenges from Chang, who has little connection with the KMT. This was quite unexpected. The challenges have highlighted several unsolved problems that the KMT faces. First, the KMT’s Cross-Strait policies are withdrawing, and cannot offer directions to respond to anti-China strategy by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Second, while Johnny Chiang keeps adequate balance with issues as KMT chairman, he did not spend too much time on the KMT’s internal reforms. Third, the structure of the KMT membership is not in tune with that of Taiwanese society, so while many deep-Blue members answered to the enthusiastic calls by Chang, young party members felt they were ignored. Chu must actively remedy and reform the above issues after assuming office.

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Recently, mainland China applied suddenly via New Zealand for membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Taiwan, while taking pride of its better economic fundamentals over mainland China, was surprised and followed suit six days later. Japan, the rotating chair of the CPTPP, welcomed Taiwan's application. But the mainland expressed its opposition.

As a matter of fact, in terms of level of opening or geopolitics, the application is a difficult challenge for both Taiwan and mainland China. Strict limitations imposed by the mainland on Taiwan’s international space, coupled with Taiwan's rampant protectionism, presents an even more difficult challenge for Taiwan.

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