The New Party is considered to be on the right-wing or the far-right of the political spectrum. It strongly supports unification with China under the "one country, two systems" formula and opposes Taiwanese independence. The New Party's "one country, two systems" plan proposes to establish a unified Chinese nation between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China. The Party's proposal also includes that after reunification, Taiwan would reduce the size of its military, stop purchasing U.S. equipment, and criminalize Taiwanese independence.
History
The New Party was formed on 22 August 1993 out of a split from the then-ruling Kuomintang (KMT) by members of the New Kuomintang Alliance.[3][4] Members of the Alliance had accused KMT Chairman Lee Teng-hui of autocratic tendencies and moving the party away from Chinese unification. Co-founders of the New Party included Chen Kuei-miao.[5] Originally, the party wanted to keep the name of the faction, but was prevented from doing so due to the similarity of names. The name "New Party" was seemingly inspired by the contemporary electoral success of the Japan New Party.
At this time, the party favored direct presidential elections, the ideals of Sun Yat-sen, voluntary service instead of military service, and "equal protection of human rights." The party also called for direct flights between Taiwan and the mainland, speaking of a "Great Chinese Common Market."[4]
In the mid-1990s, the New Party attracted support from the KMT old guard as well as young urban professionals. The New Party was aided by former Finance Minister Wang Chien-shien and former Environmental Protection Administration Director Jaw Shaw-kong, who had charismatic and clean images.
In the 2000 presidential election, the party nominated writer and dissident Li Ao, who ran a spirited but token campaign. In the election, most members of the party supported former provincial governorJames Soong, who ran as an independent candidate after losing the KMT nomination and subsequently being expelled from the KMT, and in fact both Li Ao and the New Party leader Lee Ching-hua encouraged people to support him.[6] In the 2001 Legislative Yuan election, the party won a single seat, Wu Cherng-dean's, in Kinmen.
In the 2005–06 municipal elections, the New Party made significant gains, seating over a dozen members into public office. The New Party also gained four seats in the Taipei Mayor's private offices.
Since the 2008 Legislative Yuan elections, the New Party has not won any seats, while the party supported most of the KMT candidates.
In August 2019, New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming announced a proposal to unify China under the "one country, two systems" principle. Under the party's plan, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China would be united as one country, and the country's name and flag would be determined by common consultations; Yok suggested "China" as the common name.[13][14] The proposal includes post-unification goals such as maintaining a multi-party political system, a legal ban on the Taiwanese independence movement, reducing the size of Taiwan's armed forces, inclusion of Taiwanese representatives in China's delegation to the United Nations, and integration of Taiwanese business in the Belt and Road Initiative.[15]
^"Former Taiwan president blasted for remarks on island dispute". Inter Press Service. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2020. On July 27, the chairman of Taiwan's right-wing New Party, Yok Mu-ming quickly filed charges of treason against the 92-year-old over his remarks. China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reiterated the charge in a July 29 editorial entitled "Lee Teng-hui a traitor to his homeland."
^Dafydd Fell (January 22, 2018). Government and Politics in Taiwan. Taylor & Francis. ISBN978-1-317-28506-9. The NP's shift to extreme nationalist positions after the late 1990s was also a reaction to the widespread departure of party moderates and subsequent domination by extremists. In the case of the NP, it appears that defeats no longer have any effect; instead, it operates consistently.
^Gunter Schubert (May 20, 2016). Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Taiwan. Taylor & Francis. ISBN978-1-317-66969-2. ... the rise of Chinese nationalist radicals in the NP after 1997 meant the party continued its move towards more extreme positions even after electoral setbacks (Fell 2006b: 47-67)
