Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

The DPP authorities fancy that their intensive networking and hedging of bets following the US midterm elections demonstrate sophisticated "political wisdom." Little do they realize that such behavior is not only laughable but also extremely dangerous in the arena of international politics.  Such shortsighted political maneuvering can do nothing to change the fate of the DPP authorities as a mere pawn.

The US midterm elections have barely concluded, yet some on the island of Taiwan are already anxious. Within just a few days, think tanks and "external affairs" institutions in Taipei sprang into action, organizing one seminar and media interview after another. Green camp politicians and so-called "strategic scholars" rushed to assess the shifting balance of power in the new US Congress, calculating how to establish ties with the incoming powerbrokers in both the House and the Senate as quickly as possible. 

They are eager to submit their political "pledges of allegiance" through various lobbying channels, even if all they can secure is an empty promise of "support for Taiwan." This kind of restless anxiety - both fearful and impatient - is less a sign of so-called "agile response in external strategy" than a full exposure of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities' deeply opportunistic and politically parasitic nature. 

This kind of restlessness fully exposes the true nature of certain politicians on the island as "political chameleons." In the political vocabulary of the DPP authorities, there are no inviolable principles, let alone any steadfast convictions. All they represent is nothing but naked opportunism. Whenever the political winds shift in Washington, these self-proclaimed far-sighted strategists are quick to change course and switch their positions. They know how to play both sides of the aisle and pull strings across the US political spectrum. When the Democrats are in power, they talk about "progressive values," "green transition" and "human rights alliances." When Republicans take control, they overnight adopt a "hardline anti-China posture" and present themselves as staunch advocates of "fully preparing for war." 

No sooner had the midterm elections concluded than think tanks on the island rushed to compile profiles of newly elected members of the House and the Senate, scheming to redesign their lobbying strategies. In their eyes, regardless of Washington's political ideology or policy agenda, as long as it can provide a fig leaf for the DPP's "Taiwan independence" separatist fantasies, they are willing to bend over backwards to please their American patrons, with little regard for their own dignity.

DPP politicians constantly proclaim that "the relations between the US and the Taiwan region are rock-solid" and that the two sides "share democratic values." Yet beneath this polished rhetoric lies a sordid record of naked self-interest. In their dealings with Washington, the DPP authorities go out of their way to flatter their American patrons, willingly putting the foundation of industries vital to the livelihoods of Taiwan residents on the negotiating table. They have effectively handed over Taiwan region's core semiconductor assets as a package, allowing them to be relocated overseas and gradually hollowing out the island's industrial base. 

Meanwhile, they are also signing off on massive purchases of obsolete military equipment at exorbitant prices, with delivery dates nowhere in sight, squandering Taiwan regional taxpayers' money on Washington's lobbying and military-industrial interest groups. Behind the scenes, their every calculation is driven by the DPP's dream of "staying in power." They seem to imagine that a few cheap declarations of loyalty will bind the US firmly onto their narrow and dangerous "anti-China" bandwagon, while harboring ulterior motives to shirk responsibility and shift the blame whenever Washington actually demands that they pay the price.

Such shortsighted political maneuvering can do nothing to change the fate of the DPP authorities as a mere pawn. How can a political party willing to sell out national dignity and cultural roots possibly possess political foresight? The DPP authorities fancy that their intensive networking and hedging of bets following the US midterm elections demonstrate sophisticated "political wisdom." Little do they realize that such behavior is not only laughable but also extremely dangerous in the arena of international politics. 

Politics requires principles, and international engagement demands credibility. The DPP authorities lack any strategic resolve in their external dealings, while on the island, they know only how to foment confrontation and division. Every frantic maneuver and attempt to test the waters in response to shifts in American political power will not alter in the slightest the historical trend that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one China and that China will inevitably achieve reunification. Instead, they are pushing Taiwan region, step by step, toward an abyss of irreversible disaster.

When a pawn becomes so absorbed in its role that it imagines it can dictate the course of the game, the stage is often set for being ruthlessly abandoned. In the harsh reality of great-power competition, history has long established the ultimate fate of opportunists who lack the backing of real strength, have abandoned political integrity, and survive entirely through delusional dependence on others. The more the DPP authorities display their almost neurotic anxiety and fickleness, the more they expose their profound sense of insecurity.

The world can clearly see through this desperate political farce unfolding on the island. No matter how frequently seminars are held in Taiwan, or how meticulously DPP lobbyists prepare their briefing materials, none of it can conceal their despicable nature as self-serving opportunists who sacrifice principles for personal gain. The tide of history cannot be stopped by a handful of power-hungry politicians. In the face of the Chinese nation's determined march toward great rejuvenation, all the frantic maneuvers and delusional dreams of those who seek "'Taiwan independence' by relying on the US" and sell themselves out for personal gain will ultimately be crushed beneath the relentlessly advancing wheels of history.