Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT),[I] also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD),[11] the Nationalist Party of China (NPC)[12] or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP),[1] is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially based on the Chinese mainland and then in Taiwan since 1949. The KMT is a centre-right to right-wing party and the largest in the Pan-Blue Coalition. Its primary rival is the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its allies in the Pan-Green Coalition. As of 2024, the KMT is the largest single party in the Legislative Yuan. The current chairman is Eric Chu.
This article is about the party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). For the political party currently active in the People's Republic of China, see Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang.
Kuomintang 中國國民黨
Zhōngguó Guómíndǎng
Chungkuo Kuomintang
Zhōngguó Guómíndǎng
Chungkuo Kuomintang
Chinese Nationalist Party[1]
KMT
10 October 1919
Shanghai French Concession
- Revive China Society (1894)
- Tongmenghui (1905)
- Kuomintang (1912)
No. 232–234, Sec. 2, Bade Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City 104, Taiwan[2]
Kuomintang Youth League
Three Principles of the People Youth League (1938–1947)
National Revolutionary Army (1925–1947)
Blue Shirts Society (1932–1938)[3]
Overseas branches
370,711[4]
Centre-right[5] to right-wing[6]
Historical:
Big tent[7][8]
中國國民黨
中国国民党
Chinese Nationals' Party
Zhōngguó Guómíndǎng
Zhōngguó Guómíndǎng
ㄓㄨㄥ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄉㄤˇ
Jong'gwo Gwomindaang
Chung1-kuo2 Kuo2-min2-tang3
Jhongguó Guó-mín-dǎng
ﺟْﻮ ﻗُﻮَع ﻗُﻮَع مٍ دْا
Җунгуй Гуймин Дон
tson平 koh入 koh入 min平 taon上
dung24 gued2 gued2 min11 dong31
Dṳ̆ng-guók Guók-mìng-dōng
Jūnggwok Gwokmàhndóng
zung1 gwok3 gwok3 man4 dong2
Tiong-kok Kok-bîn-tóng
國民黨
国民党
Nationals' Party
Guómíndǎng
Guómíndǎng
ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄉㄤˇ
Gwomindaang
Kuo2-min2-tang3
Guó-mín-dǎng
koh入min平taon上
gued2min11dong31
Guók-mìng-dōng
Gwokmàhndóng
gwok3 man4 dong2
Kok-bîn-tóng
ཀྲུང་གོའི་གོ་མིན་ཏང
krung go'i go min tang
krung go'i go min tang
Cunghgoz Gozminzdangj
Дундадын (Хятадын) Гоминдан (Хувьсгалт Нам)
ᠳᠤᠮᠳᠠᠳᠤ ᠶᠢᠨ
(ᠬᠢᠲᠠᠳ ᠤᠨ)
ᠭᠣᠮᠢᠨᠳᠠᠩ
(ᠬᠤᠪᠢᠰᠬᠠᠯᠲᠤ ᠨᠠᠮ)
Dumdadyn (Khyatadyn) Gomindan (khuvisgalt Nam)
Dumdadyn (Khyatadyn) Gomindan (khuvisgalt Nam)
جۇڭگو گومىنداڭ
Junggo Gomindang
Junggo Gomindang
Junggo Gomindang
Җуңго Гоминдaнг
ᠵᡠᠩᡬᠣ ᡳ
ᡬᠣᠮᡳᠨᡩᠠᠩ
Jungg'o-i G'omindang
The party originated as the Revive China Society, founded by Sun Yat-sen in 1894 in Honolulu. The party underwent reorganization before and after the 1911 Xinhai Revolution, which resulted in the collapse of the Qing dynasty and establishment of the Provisional Republic Government, with Sun as the first president. In 1919, Sun re-established the party under the name "Kuomintang" in the Shanghai French Concession. From 1926 to 1928, the KMT under Chiang Kai-shek successfully led the Northern Expedition against regional warlords and unified the fragmented nation. KMT was the sole ruling party in China during the Republican Era from 1928 to 1949, when most of the Chinese mainland was under its control. The party retreated to Taiwan in December 1949, following its defeat in the Chinese Civil War.
From 1949 to 1987, the KMT ruled Taiwan as an authoritarian one-party state after the February 28 incident. During this period, martial law was in effect and civil liberties were curtailed as part of its anti-communism efforts, with the period known as the White Terror. The party oversaw Taiwan's economic development, but experienced diplomatic setbacks, including the ROC losing its United Nations seat and most countries including, its ally the US, switching diplomatic recognition to the CCP-led People's Republic of China (PRC) in the 1970s. In the late 1980s, Chiang Ching-kuo, Chiang Kai-shek's son, lifted martial law and the ban on opposition parties. His successor Lee Teng-hui continued democratic reforms and was re-elected in 1996 through a direct presidential election, the first time in the ROC history. The 2000 presidential election ended 72 years of KMT's dominance in the ROC. The KMT reclaimed power from 2008 to 2016, with the landslide victory of Ma Ying-jeou in the 2008 presidential election, whose presidency significantly loosened restrictions on economic and cultural exchanges with the People's Republic of China. The KMT lost the presidency and its legislative majority in the 2016 election.
The KMT is a member of the International Democracy Union. The party's guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, advocated by Sun Yat-sen and historically organized on a basis of democratic centralism, a principle conceived by revolutionary Vladimir Lenin that entailed open discussion of policy on the condition of unity among party members in upholding agreed decisions. The KMT opposes de jure Taiwan independence, Chinese unification under the "one country, two systems" framework, and non-peaceful means to resolve the cross-strait disputes. Originally placing high priority on reclaiming the Chinese mainland through Project National Glory, the KMT now favors a closer relation with the PRC and seeks to maintain Taiwan's status quo under the Constitution of the Republic of China. The party accepts the 1992 Consensus, which defines both sides of the Taiwan Strait as "one China", but maintains its ambiguity to different interpretations.
Supporter base[edit]
Support for the KMT in Taiwan encompasses a wide range of social groups but is largely determined by age. KMT support tends to be higher in northern Taiwan and in urban areas, where it draws its backing from big businesses due to its policy of maintaining commercial links with mainland China. As of 2020 only 3% of KMT members are under 40 years of age.[42]
The KMT also has some support in the labor sector because of the many labor benefits and insurance implemented while the KMT was in power. The KMT traditionally has strong cooperation with military officers, teachers, and government workers. Among the ethnic groups in Taiwan, the KMT has stronger support among mainlanders and their descendants, for ideological reasons, and among Taiwanese aboriginals. The support for the KMT generally tend to be stronger in majority-Hakka and Mandarin-speaking counties of Taiwan, in contrast to the Hokkien-majority southwestern counties that tend to support the Democratic Progressive Party.
The deep-rooted hostility between Aboriginals and (Taiwanese) Hoklo, and the Aboriginal communities effective KMT networks, contribute to Aboriginal skepticism towards the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Aboriginals' tendency to vote for the KMT.[43] Aboriginals have criticized politicians for abusing the "indigenization" movement for political gains, such as aboriginal opposition to the DPP's "rectification" by recognizing the Taroko for political reasons, with the majority of mountain townships voting for Ma Ying-jeou.[44] In 2005 the Kuomintang displayed a massive photo of the anti-Japanese Aboriginal leader Mona Rudao at its headquarters in honor of the 60th anniversary of Taiwan's retrocession from Japan to the Republic of China.[45]
On social issues, the KMT does not take an official position on same-sex marriage, though most members of legislative committees, mayors of cities, and the 2020 presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu oppose it. The party does, however, have a small faction that supports same-sex marriage, consisting mainly of young people and people in the Taipei metropolitan area. The opposition to same-sex marriage comes mostly from Christian groups, who wield significant political influence within the KMT.[46]
(English, inactive since 2020)
