Amid China's current military drills in the Taiwan strait, a speech by former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou blaming the current administration for the PRC's hostility received praise in the mainland — but not so much in Taiwan.
Speaking at a conference in Taipei on August 10, Ma, who is a member of the opposition party Kuomingtang (KMT), claimed Taiwan's military capabilities are no match for China's, as well as questioned the United States’ commitment to come help in the case of full aggression. According to him, once China launches a military operation against Taiwan, “the first battle will be the last.”
Ma's ominous words reverberated among the mainland's commentariat and social media, with state-supported China Central Television (CCTV) appearing to endorse his view.
Meanwhile, a telephone poll conducted by the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation on August 17 and 18 found that 58 percent of respondents disagreed with Ma's views and were “not worried about the outbreak of a war between China and Taiwan.”
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