Taiwan moves to dissolve Pro-China CUPP over national security concerns
Taipei, July 30
Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior announced on Thursday that it will move to the Constitutional Court in early August to dissolve the pro-China Chinese Unification Promotion Party, alleging that the party has engaged in activities that threaten Taiwan's national security and democratic constitutional order, Focus Taiwan reported.
According to Focus Taiwan, Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang said the ministry had completed its review of evidence and would soon submit the petition, accusing the CUPP of maintaining long-standing links with organised crime and involvement in multiple alleged violations of Taiwan's National Security Act, Anti-Infiltration Act, election laws and the Organised Crime Prevention Act.
Liu said such actions had undermined national security, social stability and the integrity of the electoral process.
Focus Taiwan reported that Deputy Interior Minister Ma Shih-yuan said the party's stated objective of pursuing unification with China effectively seeks to eliminate the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Under the Constitution and the Political Parties Act, the government is obligated to seek the dissolution of political parties whose objectives or conduct endanger the country's existence or democratic system.
Authorities said the ministry's political parties review committee voted 7-1 in January 2025 in favour of recommending the petition, while additional evidence has since been gathered from both domestic agencies and overseas sources, Focus Taiwan said.
The ministry cited several reasons for seeking the party's dissolution, including alleged collaboration with Beijing to establish organisations in Taiwan, conduct united-front operations, recruit military personnel for espionage, interfere in elections and infiltrate civic groups and temple associations.
It also accused the party of carrying out cross-border repression, including incidents targeting Hong Kong pro-democracy activists in Taiwan, and operating as a criminal organisation under the cover of a political party, Focus Taiwan reported.
Officials further revealed that investigators had identified 15 temples across seven cities and counties allegedly infiltrated by the CUPP as part of Beijing's influence efforts. Police have also investigated 98 organised crime cases linked to party members since 2010, involving 141 suspects, including 32 senior party figures.
Founded in 2005 by Chang An-le, also known as the "White Wolf" and a former Bamboo Union triad leader, the CUPP advocates unification between Taiwan and China under Beijing's "one country, two systems" framework, according to Focus Taiwan.
— ANI
Reader Comments
India has always supported the One China policy, but this is getting complicated. Dissolving a political party over unification goals seems extreme. However, if they really have ties to organized crime and espionage, then action is justified. We've seen similar issues with some political entities in India having external links. Need more transparency on the evidence.
As someone from the US, watching this development is fascinating. Taiwan is clearly worried about Beijing's influence operations. The temple infiltration angle is particularly concerning - using religious institutions for political purposes crosses a line. In India, you also see similar concerns about foreign funding of religious organizations.
The 'White Wolf' founder and his Bamboo Union background is shady. Any party with criminal links should be investigated. But the bigger question is whether this is about security or silencing dissent. In India, we've seen how quickly 'national security' can be used to target opposition. Need to balance democracy and security.
Interesting that the vote was 7-1 in favor of dissolution. That's not unanimous, which suggests there are dissenting voices. In any democracy, dissolving a political party should be a last resort. The evidence of recruiting military personnel and election interference is serious though. India should watch this case closely - similar tactics could be used against us.
The 'one country, two systems' framework has completely failed in Hong Kong. So Taiwan's concerns are valid. But dissolving a party that advocates peaceful unification seems extreme unless they have concrete evidence of illegal activities. India must take note - our own political system faces similar challenges
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.