KMT disconnect with young voters

There are a number of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) politicians who still seem to be at a loss as to why the more noise they make about unification and being “one family” across the Taiwan Strait, the harder it is to gain the support of young voters.

Perhaps they believe that these professions of affinity for China tap into historical sentiment and demonstrate sincerity in seeking cross-strait peace. However, they fail to see the shifts that have taken place in Taiwanese society through democratization and generational changes.

Their rhetoric is not only failing to bring the two sides of the Strait closer together, but is also pushing young people further away.

On Oct. 25, Taiwan’s Retrocession Day, former KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) traveled to Fuzhou, China, to participate in commemorative activities.

Without peaceful unification, “Taiwan’s future would be unimaginable,” she said.

The question, of course, is: Who should decide Taiwan’s future? Should it be politicians who travel to China to air their unification ideals, or should it be the joint responsibility of the 23 million people living on this land?

Today’s young people belong to a generation that grew up in Taiwan’s democratic system. They are accustomed to free elections and freedom of speech, and consider Taiwan their home. They might not necessarily reject Chinese culture or oppose cross-strait exchanges, but cultural identity is not the same as political identity, and willingness to exchange does not equate to willingness to accept unification.

Politicians certainly have the freedom to express their views, but they must bear the political consequences. When key political figures repeatedly signal support for Beijing’s unification push, young people would question whether that party prioritizes the will of the Taiwanese or its historical sentiments toward China.

The real test for the KMT is not how to better sell its pro-China stance, but how to make the public believe that it respects Taiwan’s democratic choices and is willing to defend the people’s right to decide their own future. Without this, no amount of cross-strait messaging can win the trust of the younger generation.

Lin Cheng-wu is a junior high-school teacher.

Translated by Gilda Knox Streader