Chinese Unification Promotion Party
Native name中華統一促進黨
AbbreviationCUPP
ChairmanZhang Futang
PresidentChang An-lo
Secretary generalTang Zhongsheng
First Vice ChairmanZeng Zhengxing
Second Vice ChairmanLi Zongkui
Foundation9 September 2005 (age 20)
Membership year2017
Membership (2017)30,000 (self-claimed)[1]
IdeologyChinese unification
Chinese conservatism
Anti–Taiwan independence
PositionFar-right[2]
NationalPro-Beijing camp
PredecessorGreat Alliance for Defending China
Headquarters2nd Floor, No. 150, Fuxing North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan
ColoursRed, Blue, Yellow,
CountryTaiwan
Chinese Unification Promotion Party
T中華統一促進黨
S中华统一促进党
PojTiong-hôa Thóng-it Chhiok-chìn-tóng
PZhōnghuá Tǒngyī Cùjìn Dǎng
AltnameAbbreviation
T 2統促黨
S 2统促党
Poj 2Thóng-chhiok-tóng
P 2Tǒng Cù Dǎng

The Chinese Unification Promotion Party (CUPP), also known as the Unionist Party, is a minor far-right political party in Taiwan that promotes Chinese unification.

History

In 2004, convicted drug smuggler Chang An-lo, with the help of the gang he formerly led, the Bamboo Union, established the Chinese Unification Promotion Party, while he was still living in China. He has continued to grow the party since returning to Taiwan in 2013.[3]

In 2017, the party claimed to have over 30,000 members, many of whom were accused by authorities of having ties to organized crime, something Chang himself does not deny.[3][1] Other sources have put their membership at approximately 60,000.[4] Its personnel substantially overlaps with the Bamboo Union.[5] CUPP advocates unification with the People's Republic of China under a "one country, two systems" arrangement.[5]

In November 2024, a husband and wife couple affiliated with the CUPP and funded by the mainland Taiwan Affairs Office were indicted for contravening the Anti-Infiltration Act and election laws.[6][7] The Ministry of the Interior stated that it would seek to forcibly disband the CUPP for engaging in espionage and illegal election interference on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.[8][9][10]

Controversies

The controversy about the China Unification Promotion Party mainly revolves around its pro-Chinese Communist Party position, intimidating pro-democracy activists from Hong Kong and Pan-Green Coalition leaders in Taiwan, using the triad background of their members.[4][3]

Attack on Lam Wing-kee

Lam Wing-kee, the owner of Causeway Bay Books, announced in September 2019 that he planned to re-open the store in Taiwan. Previously located in Hong Kong, but closed after Lam and several others were detained by authorities from mainland China,[11] the store focuses on the history, social economy and other cultural related books of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China. The store publishes the works of dissident creators, and serves as a connection and mutual assistance base for people in Taiwan and Hong Kong, dedicated to preserving Hong Kong culture and promoting the free exchange of ideas and culture.[12][13]

On 21 April 2020, Lam was splashed with paint by unidentified men while dining at a café.[14] The Mainland Affairs Council posted on Facebook stating that Taiwan is a democratic country and cannot tolerate such behaviors. A self-proclaimed member of the Unionist Party left a message under the post, reading, "This is just our first warning to you, [we will] kill you in a matter of minutes" (這只是我們對你的第一次警告，搞死你分鐘的事).[15] The New Power Party responded to the incident by urging the Taiwan government to dissolve and ban the Unionist Party. They also referred to the previous assaults against Joshua Wong, Denise Ho and other Hong Kong democrats conducted by members of the Unionist Party, and criticized the government for its inaction.[16]

Banning proposal

The proposal to ban the Chinese Unification Promotion Party was first proposed by the Hong Kong Future Concern Group, a political organization based in Hong Kong, on 18 August 2017. In an open letter to 18 legislators of the Taiwan Parliamentary Concern for Hong Kong Democracy Alliance (all of them being members of either the New Power Party or the Democratic Progressive Party), the group made a number of demands, including declaring the Chinese Patriotic United Association (中華愛國同心會) and the Chinese Unification Promotion Party illegal organizations and arresting all related persons, as well as banning members of Hong Kong's pro-China political parties from entering Taiwan.[17]

In 2020, the New Power Party's Legislative Yuan caucus proposed that the Ministry of the Interior transfer the Unification Promotion Party to the Constitutional Court of the Judicial Yuan for dissolution procedures.[18] The ruling Tsai Ing-wen government, however, has not responded positively. The proposal by the New Power Party was even rejected by the then-ruling Democratic Progressive Party with 64 votes against and only 7 votes in favor.[18]

Some Hong Kong residents in Taiwan are dissatisfied with the government's strict immigration requirements, imposed under the pretext of national security, while they simultaneously see tolerance toward parties that are pro-unification.[19]

On 6 November 2024, the Ministry of the Interior believed that the party was likely to violate the free, democratic and constitutional order of the Republic of China, and therefore filed a petition with the Constitutional Court of the Judicial Yuan to dissolve the Unification Promotion Party in accordance with the Additional Articles to the Constitution of the Republic of China (中華民國憲法增修條文) and the Political Parties Act (政黨法).[20] The government of the People's Republic of China condemned the petition.[3]

Interior Ministry officials said the law does not protect key members of a political party from engaging in criminal activity, which is the most important red line. The United Front Party is the first political party to be referred to the case by the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry will continue to monitor other political parties with similar cases.[21]

Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, strongly condemned this, saying that the DPP was suppressing patriotic unification forces on the island.[22] The New Power Party responded to the Ministry of the Interior's 2024 action plan by expressing strong support and even stating that it was "long overdue."[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ "白狼反咬王世堅唆使開槍傷人 王：胡扯" (in zh-TW). Apple Daily. 26 September 2017. Archived 2 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  2. ^ "風評：婊子洪秀柱，真的想當急統聖戰士嗎？" (in zh-TW). www.storm.mg. The Storm Media. 2015-10-07. Archived 2016-04-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2022-08-13. 無涉統獨之外，還包括中華復興會、白色正義社會聯盟、中華統一促進黨…，幾乎是極右急統政團大會串
  3. ^ Northrop, Katrina & Wu, Pei-Lin (2025-09-29). "Behind Taiwan’s ‘unification’ party, Chinese espionage — and a criminal gang". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  4. ^ Lee, Yimou & Pomfret, James (2019-06-26). "Pro-China groups step up offensive to win over Taiwan". Reuters. Archived 2022-08-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  5. ^ Purbrick, Martin (September 5, 2025). "Criminal Organizations as Vectors of Influence in Taiwan". China Brief. Jamestown Foundation. Archived 2025-09-14 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-09-06.
  6. ^ Yi-chang, Lin & Pan, Jason (2024-11-05). "Couple charged with accepting Chinese cash". Taipei Times. Archived 2024-11-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  7. ^ Chung, Tina (2024-11-06). "Taiwanese couple prosecuted for spreading China's propaganda". Voice of America. Archived 2024-11-06 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  8. ^ Hiciano, Lery (2024-11-07). "Ministry seeks to disband the CUPP". Taipei Times. Archived 2024-11-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  9. ^ "Interior ministry to request that CUPP be dissolved". Taipei Times. 2025-01-04. Archived 2025-01-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  10. ^ Wen-hsin, Lee & Chin, Jonathan (2025-09-11). "CUPP systematically colludes with China: ministry". Taipei Times. Archived 2025-09-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  11. ^ Joseph, Elizabeth & Hunt, Katie (2016-06-16). "Missing Hong Kong bookseller: I was kidnapped". CNN. Archived 2025-10-02 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  12. ^ "銅鑼灣書店｜台灣重啟｜為自由的靈魂而開". Archived 9 September 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  13. ^ "銅鑼灣書店重啟募280萬一天達標 林榮基謝台灣人[影]". 中央通訊社. 6 September 2019. Archived 9 September 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  14. ^ "林榮基在台北遭潑漆：開個書店就要恐嚇 真的很荒謬". 21 April 2020. Archived 27 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  15. ^ 汪君邯 (23 April 2020). "林榮基潑漆案還沒完 自稱統促黨成員恐嚇:搞死你分鐘的事 我們兄弟多". Archived 30 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  16. ^ "林榮基遭潑漆事件 時代力量:內政部有責任聲請解散統促黨". 23 April 2020. Archived 29 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  17. ^ "香港前途關注組 Hong Kong Future Concern Group" (in Simplified Chinese). Facebook. Archived from the original on 2019-02-20. Retrieved 2017-09-03.
  18. ^ "內政部聲請解散統促黨 時力強烈支持「早就該」：涉犯罪人數達134人" (in Traditional Chinese). ETtoday新聞雲. 2024-11-09. Archived 2024-12-09 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  19. ^ Stone, 《追新聞》台灣特約記者弗斯及Adam (2024-01-12). "台灣大選・在台港人系列｜反送中黃絲批蔡英文內政零改善反中非唯一考慮 藍營支持者轟民進黨將對手一律抹紅" (in zh-TW). 追新聞. Archived 2024-11-08 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  20. ^ 中華民國內政部民政司 (2024-11-06). "內政部：統促黨系統犯罪逾百人，依法查處聲請解散". Ministry of the Interior (Taiwan). Archived 2025-01-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  21. ^ "聲請解散統促黨 內政部：防衛台灣民主自由制度". Central News Agency (Taiwan). 2024-11-06. Archived 2024-11-06 at the Wayback Machine.
  22. ^ "台当局将申请解散"统促党"，国台办："台独"势力倒行逆施，必将受到历史和人民的审判" (in zh-cn). 环球时报. 2024-11-13.