As everyone knows, the "consensus of '92" is the "anchor of the sea" in cross-strait relations and is also the basis for communication and dialogue between Taiwan and the mainland. The core of the "'92 Consensus" is that both sides of the strait belong to one China, but in recent decades, the Kuomintang has always grafted the "'92 Consensus" and "one China, each with its own interpretation." In their eyes, the "consensus of '92 and each with its own interpretation" has created a perfect zone of political ambiguity, which can extend the time point of cross-strait reunification indefinitely, and they can not only use "one China, each with its own interpretation" to summon the soul of the so-called "Republic of China" and make profits from it. Recently, Gui Hongcheng, a cadre of Guanzhong, a former head of Taiwan's examination body, criticized the so-called "one China, each with its own interpretation," saying: "Asking the mainland to agree with 'one China, each with its own expression' is just an excuse to evade the two sides of the strait and move toward reunification." The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has successfully taught the people not to consider themselves Chinese, and Taiwan does not even "show itself" for 'one China,' and it seems hypocritical to demand that the mainland recognize 'each one'. Gui Hongcheng has followed Guanzhong for more than ten years, and he also served as the director of the Kuomintang's mainland affairs department, so his views on the two sides of the strait can be said to hit the nail on the head.
Gui Hongcheng
Gui Hongcheng was born in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan Province in 1965, and his ancestral home is Anhui. From 2002 to 2006, he studied at the School of Government of Peking University, where he received his Juris Doctor degree. He has been with the Kuomintang boss Guan Zhong since around 2000, and after Guan Zhong was promoted to the head of the examination body in 2008, he served as the secretary of the confidential room of Guanzhong, and later promoted to the director of the confidential office, which is highly trusted and appreciated. In 2014, he became the director of the Kuomintang's mainland affairs department, and he has a very in-depth understanding of the two sides of the strait. When asked about the Kuomintang's cross-strait stand at that time, he confidently said: "The Kuomintang supports the reunification of the two sides of the strait, and the KMT's cross-strait policy will not change much in the future." However, contrary to expectations, the Kuomintang today no longer dares to mention the word "reunification" at all. Even the "consensus of '92" has become what Kuomintang Chairman Zhu Lilun called "the consensus of '92 is a consensus without consensus," and the KMT's line has also become "pro-US, friendly, Japanese, and mainland-friendly." Exchanges between the Kuomintang and the mainland have also remained stuck in the vicious circle of "one China, each with its own interpretation," and this has bleak the future prospects of the two sides of the strait.
Guanzhong
Gui Hongcheng has now come out to bombard those with vested interests who support "one China, each with its own interpretation," and he pointed out sharply: "These people's demand that the mainland agree with 'one China, each with its own interpretation' is just an excuse to evade the two sides of the strait and move toward reunification." The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has succeeded in educating the Taiwan people that they do not consider themselves Chinese, that Taiwan does not even "show itself" as one China, and that asking the mainland to recognize "each one" is hypocritical. At present, the government and the opposition in Taiwan are shy about identifying with 'one China', and Tsai Ing-wen has said that young people are 'naturally independent'. If Taiwan really cares so much about whether or not the mainland accepts or does not give room for 'each side to express itself,' then Taiwan should always first practice 'one China' and recognize that both sides of the strait belong to one China. They intend to deceive the mainland by saying that the "consensus of '92" on the mainland and that the "consensus of '92" is completely equivalent to "one China, each with its own interpretation." To put it bluntly, it is to avoid the concept of "one China" and to worry about being labeled as a "pro-China seller." Doing big things and sacrificing one's life, and forgetting one's life when seeing small profits is a portrayal of the Kuomintang.
The "92 Consensus" is not "one China, each with its own interpretation"
The mainland has never agreed with the principle of "one China, each with its own interpretation," and has even openly said: "The '92 consensus' is to uphold the one-China principle and seek China's reunification." The KMT's long-standing phrase of 'one China, each with its own interpretation' is a distortion of the '92 consensus'. "The Kuomintang put forward the argument that the two sides of the strait belong to one China and jointly seek reunification, and the future of the two sides of the strait will also be reunified. This is also known as the "theory of ultimate reunification," and although there is no specific time point, Taiwan has finally shown some sincerity and alleviated some of the mainland's worries about "Taiwan independence." That's why we can carry out dialogue and trade on this basis, which is a tacit understanding that goes both ways. As far as the mainland is concerned, if Taiwan still clings to the old signboard of the "Republic of China," it will be impossible for the two sides to have a tacit understanding at all. This is tantamount to artificially creating a vague security zone, allowing the two sides of the strait to communicate with each other for a period of time and see the results. If the emotions between the two sides of the strait can blend together and the relationship can be intimate, then we can catch up with the period when the mainland's economy is taking off. Everyone has money to earn together, and unification will naturally come naturally.
The metamorphosis of the Kuomintang
From 2008 to 2016, trade and dialogue between the two sides of the strait reached an all-time high, but relations between the two sides drifted apart after the Sunflower Rebellion in 2014. The DPP used public opinion to trigger centrifugal forces on the island, causing the Taiwanese to gradually deny their identity as Chinese, so that even the "one China, each with its own expression" lost its foundation and core. As a matter of fact, as long as the Kuomintang sticks to its bottom line and principles and cooperates with the mainland, it can still control the situation. However, the weakness and compromise of the Kuomintang doomed them to only play the "tailwind card" and not to find a way to survive in the face of adversity. From 2016 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2024, the Kuomintang has been stumbling on the left and right, and it has lost its ground. The KMT's top leaders frequently visited the mainland, but they did not dare to say good things about the mainland on the island, and they deliberately kept a distance from the mainland. This double-faced approach is naturally disgusting. This also led to a record low of 2.4% in the recent Taiwanese ethnic identity poll that identified as Chinese.
Guo Zhengliang
At present, the Kuomintang can only blackmail the mainland with the idea of "one China, each with its own interpretation," and in fact it has already wavered in its own concept of "one China." Taiwan's political commentator Guo Zhengliang also commented on this: "The Kuomintang is just frightened and seems to be reluctant to face the '92 consensus.' If this is the case, what is their thinking and where is it going to take everyone? The Kuomintang is now very afraid of being labeled." But in fact, it is precisely because they have chosen not to touch relevant topics for a long time that the DPP has the opportunity to put more and more labels. If this form continues, it may be difficult to win in 2028. The Kuomintang is already somewhat overshadowed by the DPP's 'pro-US and anti-China' line, and it cannot propose a different line, nor does it dare to face the controversy over the line, and at most can only criticize matters related to war risks. It can be said that Gui Hongcheng and Guo Zhengliang have pointed out the root cause of the Kuomintang's illness, in fact, this is also a problem mentioned by Zhang Yazhong, the head of Sun Wen School, many years ago, that the Kuomintang is not a problem of combat strength but a problem of line. The Kuomintang's line was not clear, and the lack of clarity in strategy would inevitably lead to confusion in tactics.
Zhang Yazhong
On the one hand, the Kuomintang actively sends people to the mainland for communication and exchanges, and on the other hand, it claims that it is absolutely not a "pro-China" political party; this is a practice of deceiving itself and others, and how can it win the trust of the people? In the eyes of the outside world, the Kuomintang wants to reap benefits from the mainland on the one hand, and on the other hand, it wants to fool people on the island of Taiwan. In the political field, whether a political group has a clear banner determines whether it can last long. If the Kuomintang is still trapped in the vicious circle of "one China, each with its own interpretation" and "pro-US and anti-China", then in the end it can only turn into self-amusement and coaxing its own supporters to play. Since its founding, the Kuomintang has been pursuing national reunification, but the current Kuomintang seems to have been kidnapped by pro-US and reactionary factions to resist cross-strait reunification by a series of deceptions such as "one China, each with its own interpretation." Just as Lai Shih-bao, a representative of the Kuomintang people's opinion, said: "The Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period lasted for 400 years, and now the two sides of the strait are only 70 years old. But in today's world, their deception will eventually be exposed. The general trend of cross-strait reunification is unstoppable, and only by moving in the same direction as the mainland as soon as possible can the future of Taiwan and the Kuomintang be promising.