The ruling Kuomintang (KMT) is planning to discuss whether to discipline former Vice President Lien Chan. Lien is currently the party’s honorary chairman. There have been calls to expel Lien from the party because he attended a military parade in China commemorating the end of World War II over party objections. While in China, Lien also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
When talking to the media on Friday, KMT chairman Eric Chu said that the KMT deserves credit for leading China through WWII. The Republic of China government, which relocated to Taiwan in 1949 following the Chinese Civil War, has maintained that Chinese communists played only a minor role in the war effort.
Chu said that no party officials attended China’s commemorative events. But he said that the behavior of individual party members who did attend will be discussed in meetings.
"The Republic of China government and the Kuomintang have adopted the same position towards China’s military parade. Both insist on the historical fact that it was the Republic of China [that led the war effort], and we demanded that all current high-ranking party officials not attend the event," Chu said. "However, some senior members of the party had different views. The KMT follows democratic principles. We will discuss this matter at the disciplinary committee or the central standing committee."
The former vice president returned to Taiwan Thursday night. He and his wife left rapidly through a VIP gate at the airport in order to avoid facing a large number of protestors gathered there. Most of the protestors were members of the pro-independence Taiwan Solidarity Union.