TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The leader of Taiwan's main opposition party sparked diplomatic controversy Thursday (May 8) after doubling down on controversial comparisons between Taiwan's government and Nazi Germany. Eric Chu (朱立倫), chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨), Taiwan's main opposition party, called on foreign governments to avoid becoming accomplices in persecuting democracy while suggesting President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) needs "self-reflection."
Chu's remarks prompted swift diplomatic rebukes from two nations with historical sensitivities to Nazi comparisons. The German Institute Taipei (德國在台協會), Germany's de facto embassy in Taiwan, issued a sharply worded statement Wednesday expressing deep disappointment over the opposition leader's rhetoric. The Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei (以色列駐台辦事處), Israel's unofficial diplomatic mission on the island, similarly condemned what it called inappropriate comparisons to Nazi atrocities.
Speaking at a Mother's Day celebration earlier that day, the opposition chairman invoked Adolf Hitler as a cautionary example of how democratic systems can potentially devolve into authoritarian regimes. Chu called for global vigilance against what he described as emerging dictatorial tendencies, implying that foreign governments should recognize such dangers in Taiwan's current administration. The KMT leader explicitly accused President Lai of exhibiting fascist tendencies and moving Taiwan toward what he characterized as a dictatorship. ★