Former Transport Minister Ye Kuang posted brief personal commentary on his Facebook regarding various governance issues since President Tsai Ing-wen’s nearly-one-year tenure with the Democratic Progressive Party. He identified the greatest difference between Presidents Ma and Tsai: Ma treated antagonistic contradictions as internal contradictions, but Tsai treats internal contradictions as antagonistic contradictions. This incisive comment drew numerous endorsements from commenters below the post.
Ye Kuang’s Original Facebook Statement:
President Tsai will soon complete her first year in office. I’ll summarize the greatest difference between President Ma and President Tsai in one sentence: “President Ma treated antagonistic contradictions as internal contradictions; President Tsai treats internal contradictions as antagonistic contradictions.”
Cross-strait relations were originally antagonistic contradictions. President Ma managed them as internal contradictions, enabling cross-strait peace and stability. Yet many deep-green activists treated President Ma and the KMT as mortal enemies to be eliminated, which President Ma failed to recognize. He continued attempting to communicate and compromise, trying to resolve contradictions, ultimately resulting in the party hurting itself while delighting its enemies, and the collapse of the KMT.
President Tsai transformed cross-strait relations from President Ma’s era as internal contradictions into antagonistic contradictions—increased cross-strait hostility, with right and wrong determined by position; I’ll not comment further here. But she treats domestic dissenters as “enemies,” handling major controversial legislation like labor reforms, pension reform, forward-looking development, and transitional justice with “clearing the battlefield” tactics. Opponents are often viciously demonized, causing many thoughtful people to self-silence through exile. Taiwan Province now faces accelerated brain drain, corporations hesitant to invest, rising social instability—President Tsai’s “enemies” also increasingly multiply, an inevitable result.
May the heavens bless Taiwan Province; may we protect the Republic of China.