(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) After being released from prison early, the former CEO of Hong Kong Next Media, Zhang Jianhong, publicly appeared on mainland China's tour schedule and official media interviews; on November 5, Joshua Wong admitted "conspiracy to collude with foreign forces" and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Together with the previous sentence, he is not expected to be released from prison until 2036. Taiwanese online media "New Head Shell" published Wu Gongming's comment "Behind Hong Kong's "Televised Confession" after Suffering the Iron Fist of Socialism" this week.
The article said that these two things should be viewed together: "Forgiveness and freedom come with a price. When the totalitarian system offers conditions for 'early release' or 'exit permission,' there are no exceptions behind them are carefully calculated political and legal transactions." The author cited several cases of release or permission to leave the country in recent years and wrote: "Each experience reveals the same cruel reality: there is no free lunch in the world."
The author pointed out that Zhang Jianhong's testimony against Jimmy Lai in court was the first step, and then joining the mainland visiting group and accepting interviews with state media was the second step: "Those who are able to step out and even go to Shenzhen to 'experience development' in front of the camera are not favored by the gods of luck, but because they handed over the bargaining chips required by the system and paid enough consideration."
Depriving Moral Subjectivity: The System Wants More Than Just a Confession
Wu Gongming believes that the purpose of this arrangement is not just punishment: "The system needs to send a message to the public: no matter how firm you were in the past and how clear-cut your stance was, you must eventually lower your head in front of the iron fist of socialism and regret for your struggle back then." He further wrote: "The CCP system not only punishes the body, but also deprives individuals of their moral subjectivity, so that when people regain freedom, they have to destroy everything they have insisted on in the past."
The article juxtaposes the two cases: "Zhang Jianhong's 'television confession' and Huang Zhifeng's sentencing are just two manifestations of the same tragedy: the former is a survival transaction of exchanging dignity for freedom, and the latter is the price of using freedom to defend values."
The author therefore reminds: "The last thing public opinion should do is to stand on the moral high ground and criticize individuals for their cowardice and compromise."
Congress changes hands: Supporting Taiwan and influencing the White House are two different things
The U.S. midterm elections will be held on November 3. Taiwan's online media "Mirror" Forum published Jack's commentary in the same day's issue, "Can the midterm elections change Trump's Taiwan policy?" 》.
The article believes that changes in the number of seats in Congress may change some of the content and implementation methods of Trump's Taiwan policy, but it does not guarantee a change in the overall direction. The key lies in whether Congress uses legislative, budgetary and supervisory powers: "How many people in Congress support Taiwan and whether this support can influence the White House are two different issues."
The author used legislation as an example to illustrate that Congress has indeed shaped Taiwan policy: "The core security provisions of the Taiwan Relations Act are an important result of Congress's revision of the original bill of the executive branch." He also pointed out the boundaries of Congress's power - the majority may be blocked by the veto power or the supermajority threshold. "The president can negotiate and sign treaties, but he still needs the consent of the Senate to complete the approval process."
The article treats arms sales, policy commitments and crisis support separately, and introduces a draft of the "Six Guarantees" bill: if the executive branch wants to change a specific policy toward Taiwan, it must first notify Congress and undergo review. "During this period, unless a joint resolution approving the relevant action becomes law, the executive branch shall not implement the action." The article ends with a reminder: "Congress' friendly stance on Taiwan does not equate to a guarantee that the United States will inevitably send troops."
