A prominent Chinese warlord and military commander of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), Li Tsung-jen (李宗仁) played a significant role in shaping the history of modern China.
In the Chinese Civil War, Li served as vice president of the Republic of China under former president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石). After Chiang resigned in early 1949, Li became the acting president.
However, Chiang and Li differed in their political views, and their rivalry would compel Li to leave for the US. Li remained in exile until July 20, 1965, when he flew to Beijing with the support of then-Chinese premier Zhou Enlai (周恩來).
Li described his overseas exile of the previous 16 years by saying that he constantly thought about China and its leadership by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and then-Chinese leader Mao Zedong (毛澤東) under the banner of socialism. Li praised the CCP for uplifting China and said he would like to devote the rest of his life to his country. He said that his commitment to China was manifest, hoping that his return to the motherland was not too late.
Li degraded himself with that statement and should have faced a reckoning for singing the praises of the CCP.
In an interview with Deutsche Welle on Saturday last week, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) should be trusted. While in office, Ma prevented military procurements 69 times and reduced the length of compulsory military service. Both measures have weakened Taiwan’s defensive capabilities. Meanwhile, Ma has praised the CCP’s achievements in public. These are the proof of allegiance that Ma has presented to China.
The identities and positions of Li and Ma are not necessarily comparable. Yet, they both have embraced China. They sell out not only their compatriots, but also their own souls. In this respect, Li and Ma are birds of a feather.
In August 1955, Li discussed his stance on the Taiwan issue publicly in the US. He emphasized that the issue should be considered an internal affair of China and hence handled by Chinese themselves. Li eventually decided to fly to Beijing and commit himself to the CCP. It is said that Li even asked Mao to make him a sub-national leader on the pretext of making a greater contribution to China. Three years later, Li died of duodenal cancer in Beijing aged 78.
Clearly, after Li announced his political views in the US, he and the CCP started discussing the terms of his return to Beijing. Ma has repeatedly broadcasts that his political opinions that are in line with the CCP. Meanwhile, Ma’s bannermen have shuttled back and forth between China and Taiwan. Li’s and Ma’s stories share many similarities. Coincidence? We will see.
Yu Kung is a Taiwanese entrepreneur working in China.
Translated by Emma Liu
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