The Beijing government does not like me.
Hi, welcome to China Uncensored,
I'm your host, Chris Chappell.
We're in Taiwan as part of our Pivot to Asia Tour.
Is Taiwan a province of China?
An independent country?
Or just an awkward-to-describe region?
Yes, Taiwan may be a difficult place for many of our American viewers to understand.
For instance,
Taiwan politics has successful third parties.
Sorry, Gary Johnson.
And Jill Stein.
Two main parties have dominated the Taiwanese political landscape since the 1990s:
The KMT, which favors closer ties with mainland China,
and the DPP, which currently dominates the government and views Taiwan as a separate country.
But the elections in January that put the DPP in power
also saw the success of a third political party:
the NPP, founded by several well-known activists in Taiwan.
Including Taiwanese heavy metal music star and now legislator,
Freddy Lim.
The NPP grew out of the 2014 Sunflower Movement.
When students occupied Taiwan's legislature
for 24 days, to protest a controversial trade deal with mainland China.
I had the opportunity to sit down
with current NPP chairman,
Mr. Huang Kuo-chang,
to discuss the Chinese Communist Party's encroachment in Taiwan and Hong Kong,
and the future of democracy in mainland China.
Thank you for joining us, Mr. Huang.
My first question is,
what is the goal of the NPP as a political party?
We want to become the second-largest political party in the near future.
The NPP - New Power Party - was founded last January,
kind of growing out of the Sunflower Movement.
Our strongest supporting base
is young generations.
And you mentioned the NPP sort of came out of the Sunflower Movement.
A lot of the political parties that came out of that movement
are often accused of being anti-China.
How would you respond to that?
It's not anti-China.
It's pro-democracy.
Pro-freedom.
Pro-human rights.
So that has nothing to do with "against China."
But to keep our way of life.
To keep the democracy in Taiwan
more vibrant, more mature.
Do you think there is a risk to Taiwanese democracy?
Oh, sure!
It's happening every day.
Our biggest threat
is from the Chinese Communist Party.
But you will not see any TV channels
there to criticize the Chinese Communist Party.
Why?
Because the enormous economic influence
China has over Taiwan's many big corporations
which control most of our TV news.
How do you feel about the current situation in Hong Kong?
I...
To be frank,
I'm a little bit worried.
If we look at what is happening in Hong Kong right now,
Not only is democracy disappearing,
But also, its rule of law is seriously undermined
from all kinds of pressure from the Beijing government.
I know during the Umbrella Movement,
you had been denied a visa to travel to Hong Kong.
Have you been back since?
And here now, I'm still
not allowed to go to Hong Kong.
Why do you think that is?
The Beijing government does not like me.
We support all democratic movements in China.
We support...
- In mainland China?
Yes.
And we support all the lawyers.
It requires a lot of courage to stand out against
the Chinese Communist Party.
How do you see the futures of Hong Kong and Taiwan being tied together?
What happened in Hong Kong really gave many Taiwanese a lot to think about.
That is also why we try our very best to support
all the democratic movements happening in Hong Kong right now.
Because we realized that if
the Chinese Communist Party can change
the way of life in Hong Kong.
It is also very damaging and dangerous for us -
To keep our way of life.
So since the Taiwanese people
and the people in Hong Kong
both want democracy,
I think it's very important
for Hong Kong and Taiwan to stand together
against the overreaching from the Beijing government.
What do you think the young people in Hong Kong and Taiwan can do together?
We can support each other.
When our friends in Hong Kong came to Taiwan
to talk with us, and to discuss
what they can do in Hong Kong,
to change the status quo,
and what they can learn from our experience
of becoming a democratic country,
There are simply too many things,
too many experiences we can share with each other.
What do you think the role of these young people is?
In the past,
many people believed young people don't vote.
So their voice can't be ignored
in the political arena.
But after those civic movements,
our young generation not only came out to vote,
but they will also try to influence their parents -
even their grandpas and grandmas -
to change the way they vote.
And how do you think the United States could help Taiwan better deal with mainland China?
I think we need help from the United States.
Taiwan, we have a better chance
to be able to build
sufficient capability for us to defend
our own democracy.
So to our American audience,
why do you think they should be concerned about the situation in Hong Kong and Taiwan?
Look at what China did for the past few years.
They tried to
change the status quo in East Asia.
and by China's unilateral actions,
the South China Sea region became one of the most dangerous regions in the world.
And it not only affects
people living in this region,
But also, in fact,
the world order.
And even in the United States,
American people's interests,
By maintaining the stability
in this region, and also the Americans' business interest.
So if the United States chooses not to do anything
to stop China,
this threat to the United States had from China
is going to be increasing significantly.
Well, thank you very much for meeting with me today, Mr. Huang.
I have one final question, it's very important.
Do you think you could get me a spot in Freddy Lim's band?
What?!
I could ask him, but I don't see that being a big problem.
Alright, great! - Yeah, okay!
Thank you very much! - Thank you.