Ma Ying-jeou protests Lai Ching-te, remembers Pope Francis
The former Taiwan leader reiterates that under his eight-year leadership, "cross-strait relations were peaceful and stable." He also recalls meeting the Holy Father as President of the ROC in 2013.
Ma Ying-jeou, Taiwan's leader between 2008 and 2016, joined a massive protest organized by his Kuomintang (KMT) Party against William Ching-te Lai, the current leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), on Saturday, April 26.
In his remarks, as posted on his Meta page, Ma once again highlighted cross-Strait relations characterized by peace, stability, and prosperity under his leadership.
A few days ago, Ma posted another message on Meta, recalling his 2013 conversation in his official capacity as the President of the Republic of China with Pope Francis.
At a time when the KMT is often portrayed as “pro-Beijing,” Ma’s recollection serves as a reminder that Taiwan was once able to secure significant international space with minimal pushback from Beijing.
Ma’s two posts are translated below.
Today, I stand in front of the Presidential Office as a former President of the Republic of China, at the age of 75, protesting against the current 66-year-old President Lai. Why? Because I am deeply concerned that President Lai’s recent actions and words—suspected to be unconstitutional, dictatorial, and selling out Taiwan—will rapidly lead Taiwan into decline.
President Lai once played my speech calling for the impeachment of a corrupt DPP president during a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) central committee meeting. In that speech, I said, “If a president is corrupt, incompetent, and has lost the trust of the people, the people should take back the power!” I now offer these words to President Lai. His current approval rating has dropped to only 40%, indicating that he has lost the trust of 60% of the people, yet he remains oblivious to this reality. We must make him realize and face this situation, don’t you agree?
My friends, when we see the President of the United States wielding the sword of tariffs while President Lai’s government remains helpless, isn’t that incompetence?! When we see President Lai handing over Taiwan’s crucial national asset, TSMC, to the United States, isn’t that improper?! When we see the government using inappropriate measures to target opposition leader Ko Wen-je, isn’t that dictatorship?!
A president who is both incompetent and improper, and who exhibits dictatorial behavior, is likely to provoke public resistance and cross-strait confrontation in the future. During my eight years in office, cross-strait relations were peaceful and stable. The other side never conducted military exercises encircling Taiwan, and we signed 23 cooperation agreements. I met with Mr. Xi Jinping of the Communist Party of China twice to negotiate and maintain peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait for eight years. Why is it that under the DPP’s rule, Taiwan’s youth now fear being sent to the battlefield under the shadow of extended military service? Isn’t this because of President Lai’s incompetence and dereliction of duty?
Today’s protest is just the beginning. We must stand up to condemn this incompetent president and his improper actions in launching a massive impeachment campaign. We must also criticize the unsuitable DPP legislators. Through the power of the people’s votes, we will turn this anti-impeachment campaign into a vote of no confidence against President Lai, warning him to deeply reflect and thoroughly review his actions!
Having served as president for eight years, I fully understand the severity of Taiwan’s current situation. President Lai must deeply reflect, conduct self-examination, and engage in sincere dialogue with the people if we are to face Taiwan’s future challenges together.
I also know that being president is not an easy job, but I simply cannot stand by and watch anymore! I must speak my mind, and I will stop here. President Lai, please take care of yourself! Thank you, everyone!
Pope Francis, the 88-year-old 266th Pope of the Catholic Church, passed away yesterday after being hospitalized for bilateral pneumonia. His condition had been fluctuating, and the news of his death deeply shocked and saddened me, especially as I had the honor of meeting him briefly. It brings to mind our interaction 12 years ago at the Vatican in Rome.
On March 19, 2013, as the President of the Republic of China, I traveled with my wife, Chow Mei-ching, to Italy for a diplomatic mission to attend Pope Francis’s inauguration mass. This was the first time in 70 years since Taiwan established diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1942 that our head of state personally attended such an event. It was a significant moment for our country, my wife, and myself. Growing up in the Wanhua District of Taipei, I was familiar with Catholicism, often accompanying my grandmother to Mass at the church, and I fondly remembered my interactions with Father Wen.
Out of an abundance of caution, before our departure, I made a special inquiry with my old friend, Ambassador Wang Yuyuan, then Ambassador to the Vatican, and Paul Russell, the Holy See’s Representative in the Republic of China, who is an American, to ask if the Pope speaks English. Neither could provide a clear answer. I thought that since the Pope was from Argentina, he would likely speak Spanish, and after working in Italy for many years, he must be fluent in Italian. However, my Italian was not sufficient for communication, so I decided to practice Spanish with a teacher before attending the inauguration. During the flight, I spent my spare time listening to a Spanish language recording prepared by the European Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so I could speak with the Pope in Spanish for at least 40 seconds during the meeting.
After arriving in Rome, we rested for a day before attending the inauguration. The ceremony at the Vatican was grand and impressive. After the official ceremony began, heads of state, along with their spouses, were introduced to the Pope in alphabetical order. Just before it was our turn, I could not help but ask a Vatican staff member again whether the Pope could speak English, but they still didn’t have an answer. I decided to greet the Pope in Spanish.
When I greeted the Pope in Spanish, he was visibly surprised and smiled warmly, as he had not expected the President from the Republic of China to speak his native Spanish. I introduced myself as the President of the Republic of China, introduced my wife, Mei-ching, and shared my experience of being baptized at the Wanhua Catholic Church as a child. I spoke in Spanish for about 40 seconds, concluding with the line, “This is all the Spanish I know!” The Pope laughed heartily, and then I immediately asked in English, “Do you speak English?” The Pope smiled and replied, “Yes, I do.” Mei-ching and I both laughed, and I then repeated my previous speech in English. After the meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs colleagues informed me that we, as foreign guests, had the longest conversation with the Pope.
I also briefly shared with the Pope in English about the history of Catholic missions in Taiwan, emphasizing the contributions of Catholic priests to Taiwanese society over the past century, for which the people of Taiwan are very grateful. I hoped that my performance at the inauguration Mass would leave a lasting impression on the Pope, increasing his understanding of Taiwan, and I also thanked him for his firm support of the Republic of China.
As Pope, Francis was a stabilizing force, advocating for peace and friendship throughout his life. He provided valuable advice on European and global affairs, and I believe the world will always remember him. I ask for the Pope to rest in peace.
How did Beijing react at the time? The New York Times reported
And what of China, which normally registers angry protest when a top Taiwan politician is received abroad?
There was some pushback, but not as much as in the past, likely a reflection of China’s hopes for its warming relationship with Taiwan under President Ma. In 2005, China filed a protest to Italy for granting a visa to then-President Chen Shui-bian so he could attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II.
Instead, last week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying called on Taiwan to “bear in mind the overall situation and deal prudently with sensitive issues,” The South China Morning Post reported.
“We hope that the Vatican will take concrete steps to create conditions for the improvement of China-Vatican relations and gradually remove barriers,” Ms. Hua said.
She did, however, call on the Vatican to “sever its so-called diplomatic relations with Taiwan and recognize the Chinese government as the sole legal representative of all of China.”