What changed
Han Kuo-yu again said “I am Chinese” during a local campaign appearance and described Taiwan’s democracy as “kidney-deficient,” using Liuwei Dihuang pills as a metaphor for restoring it.
He tied the criticism to disputes over mass recalls and “non-countersignature” actions. Premier Cho Jung-tai replied that Taiwan’s legislative body had “poor congenital conditions,” while KMT legislator Hsu Yu-chen blamed President Lai Ching-te’s administration for damaging democratic order.
Why it matters
The exchange turns a political dispute into a mock medical consultation. Han’s “kidneys” and Liuwei Dihuang prescription were figurative, not a medical diagnosis, but the language casts Taiwan’s democratic system as physically weakened and in need of treatment.
It also shows how responsibility is being assigned in competing ways. Han points to recent political confrontations; Cho attacks the legislature’s underlying condition; Hsu says the executive administration caused the damage. Those accusations remain political claims, and it is not clear whether the remarks will affect legislative or electoral outcomes.
For now, the concrete development is the renewed clash between Taiwan’s legislative and executive camps, with national identity folded directly into the argument.
Comments
No comments yet.