Taipei: Ho Ying-lu, a member of the Kuomintang’s (KMT) Central Standing Committee, announced her resignation from the opposition party on Wednesday amid controversy over a video she made advocating for Taiwan’s unification with China while wearing a shirt featuring Mao Zedong.
According to Focus Taiwan, Ho posted a video on Douyin last month in which she expressed her desire for Taiwan to “soon return to the embrace of the motherland,” while wearing attire with Mao’s portrait. Her statements led to significant scrutiny, prompting the KMT’s Disciplinary Committee to suspend her from her committee position on November 19. However, she was allowed to continue her duties while she considered an appeal.
The Central Standing Committee, with 34 members, serves as the primary decision-making body within the KMT. Ho, reportedly born in Yunnan and raised in Hubei, moved to Taiwan in 1997 after marrying a Taiwanese national, and is believed to be the only China-born member of the committee.
During a meeting of the central standing committee on Wednesday, Ho wore a bright green jacket, a color associated with the KMT’s rival, the Democratic Progressive Party. KMT Chairperson Cheng Li-wun remarked on her attire, asking about the choice of color, to which Ho replied, “I’ve gone green.”
After the meeting, Ho addressed reporters to clarify her stance, advocating for “peaceful unification” and expressing concern for the safety of Taiwan’s people in the event of war. She highlighted the need for the KMT to specify whether it refers to the People’s Republic of China or the Republic of China (Taiwan) when discussing “Chinese people.”
Concluding her remarks emotionally, Ho declared her resignation from the party, stating, “I’m done. I resign from the party,” before leaving the microphone.
