Thered carpet was rolled out recently in Taipei for Song Zuying, anattractive major general of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and asoprano soloist popular in China. Her performance was not mereentertainment, but one act in a larger drama, as the Chinese regimeseeks to consummate its strategy of absorbing Taiwan.
Herdebut in Taiwan showcased communist-themed selections. While theprogram was a lavishly pricey production co-sponsored by Chinesecompanies, admission was free.
Song is purported to be themistress of former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Jiang Zemin.She has been given the unofficial title of “Mother of Communist China.”
The program included 22 songs praising the Communist Party, its cultureand exploits, with a few torch songs thrown in. The selectionsdepicting the CCP subduing and defeating the Kuomintang (theNationalist Party) were given center stage.
Not resorting tosleight of hand, only heavy-handedness, Song’s singing thecrimson-tinged songs was staged to humiliate and taunt the Taiwanese.
The medleys were chosen with strategic precision. The first song, “AHundred Birds Serenade or Hail the Phoenix” represented the Kuomintangofficials attending the concert to support the CCP.
Thethird song “Good Days,” with its lyrics “Today and tomorrow are allgood days, as we are so lucky to live in prosperity,” reflectedsentimentality for Jiang Zemin’s rule, bragging that mainland China isprosperous and strong under communist rule, which also extends peace toTaiwan.
The fourth song “Ode to Coral” ends with “Welcome theSavior to the Island,” with its singular message that the PLA will landin Taiwan, and the Taiwanese are bound to welcome them with open arms.
2012 General Election
Not only intended to humiliateTaiwan, Song’s recital was of course a united front tactic—an attemptto advance the agenda of the CCP through apparently independentorganizations—taken against the country. The CCP has taken measuresfocused on controlling Taiwan’s general election in 2012 and conqueringTaiwan, without resorting to war.
Song not only attempted towin over the people of Taiwan with her artistic performance and stagepresence, she also shamelessly played her role as agent provocateur.Ever since China and Taiwan entered the Economic Cooperation FrameworkAgreement (ECFA) in June 2010, the CCP has been using culturalinitiatives to try to strengthen economic and trade exchange, and believes that now is the time to reap the political harvest.
One of the main reasons the CCP carried out its surprise arrestof artist dissident Ai Weiwei was the fear that he might affectTaiwan’s unification with China. Ai had planned to attend an art eventin Taiwan in early April, but the CCP feared that Ai’s influence wouldinterfere with Song’s visit to Taiwan.
There areindisputable signs that the CCP has sped up its political unificationwith Taiwan: one being that its high officials no longer avoid openlyinterfering with Taiwan’s general election.
“To maintain thestable development of cross-strait relations, the Taiwanese must electthe ‘right candidate’ in the next two important elections.” JiaQinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’sPolitical Consultative Conference, made this statement in the recentSeventh Cross Straits Economic Trade and Cultural Forum, emphasizingthat not electing the preferred candidate of the CCP is “creatinginstability,” thus affording an excuse for the CCP to send troops toTaiwan. His statement at the same time rallied some people from Taiwanto vote for pro-CCP candidates.
In a meeting of the Chinese regime’s Political Bureau in June 2008, theVice Premier Li Keqiang said that the economic expenditure on Taiwanwas worthwhile and will receive political returns. In other words, allthe benefits Taiwan has received from the ECFA today will be paid back,through political reunification in the future.
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Freedom of the Press
Another obvious sign is that the CCPhas been systematically suppressing freedom of the press in Taiwan. Theglobal press freedom-rating evaluation published by the U.S.-basednonprofit organization Freedom House has shown that Taiwan’s rank overthe past three years has continued to plummet and has now reached arecord low.
The CCP has been systematically suppressing freedom of the press in Taiwan.
The CCP is fully aware that pressfreedom interferes with its united front conspiracy and exposes itsdeplorable human rights record. New Tang Dynasty Asia Pacific (NTD AP)Television is nearly the only TV station in Taiwan that dares to expose the CCP, and is therefore considered a thorn in its side.
NTD AP suffered a serious disruption of service for an extended periodof time, beginning in October 2009. But the satellite carrier, ChunghwaTelecom and the government of Taiwan (that owns 35 percent of thecompany’s stock and holds a majority on the company’s board) failed toidentify the source of the interruption, which was indeed strange.
In a move that has drawn international attention, Chunghwa Telecomagain informed NTD AP in April that it will terminate its contract withthe company in August.
Opening the Door
Song’s recital in Taiwan was also timed topave the way for the PLA to converge on Taiwan. PLA personnel have beenprohibited from visiting Taiwan. Before Song’s appearance, Chen Sisi from the Second Artillery Performance Troupe had broken the rule that did not permit PLA active duty military personnel to visit Taiwan. Chen’s rank by comparison was low.
The timing of Song’s Taiwan debut and her rank of major generalsignifies a lot. Since the exception to the rule has now been made,highmilitary officials of the CCP can make up excuses to enter Taiwanin the future, thereby creating a false impression of peacefulcross-straitsmilitary interaction.
This is a form ofpsychological warfare that the CCP is utilizing against Taiwan, inaddition to espionage and the threat of unrestricted warfare. It isclearly an important strategic component, with a cultural edge, to add to the arsenal of the CCP’s united front strategies.
Just like the ECFA, Song’s serenading Taiwanese with red songs is amove to subdue Taiwan without a war—an alluring woman appearing beforethe big guns arrive. If the government of Taiwan and its people are noton the alert to resist such ploys, the CCP could readily take overTaiwan, while being greeted with flowers and embraces.
Such a thing could transpire without the firing of a single bullet.
Butthen, of course, there’s also a significant possibility that the CCPwill collapse and meet its demise before such drama plays out.
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