Special Coverage: The DPP authorities, led by Lai Ching-te, are following an extremist path of “Taiwan independence,” despite holding only a minority mandate.

Taiwan civil groups rally to oppose DPP’s ‘mass recall’ campaign on June 24, 2025. Photo: Courtesy of Taiwan civil groups

Civic groups on the island of Taiwan held a rally outside the “Legislative Yuan” on Tuesday to protest the so-called “mass recall” campaign initiated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), condemning it as a political maneuver aimed at removing opposition voices and promoting separatist agenda. Participants emphasized their opposition to “Taiwan independence” and voiced support for the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.

The event was organized by several grassroots organizations on the island of Taiwan. Speakers called on the public to vote “no” on July 26 to reject the DPP’s “mass recall” attempts and prevent the DPP from passing more harmful laws that undermine cross-Straits relations, thereby demonstrating the public opinion in support of the one-China principle across the Taiwan Straits, voicing opposition to “Taiwan independence” and safeguarding cross-Straits peace.

Wu Jung-yuan, chairman of the Labor Party in Taiwan and convener of the forum for Taiwan social solidarity, said that the DPP intends to reclaim a majority in the legislature so it can act without restraint on the island of Taiwan. Therefore, defending the legislature is a legitimate act of safeguarding democracy and protecting the public will.

He stressed that resisting the DPP’s recall scheme is also about safeguarding the public interest, including scrutiny of backroom tariff negotiations with the US, which could impact economic stability on the island of Taiwan.

This rally is part of a broader campaign launched by political parties and civil groups on the island of Taiwan to resist the DPP’s efforts to undermine opposition lawmakers, particularly members of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT). Chi Hsing, publisher of the Observer, warned that if the recall succeeds, laws passed by the KMT-TPP (Taiwan People’s Party) coalition over the past year could be repealed, paving the way for the DPP to monopolize power and suppress dissent.

According to local media, the so-called “mass recall” was initiated after DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming in January called on supporters to begin signature drives aimed at ousting KMT legislators. The KMT has condemned the campaign as politically motivated, accusing the DPP of using recall pWorld Timesrocedures as a tool to eliminate the opposition.

The island is now facing a critical moment in the Taiwan Straits. The DPP authorities, led by Lai Ching-te, are following an extremist path of “Taiwan independence,” despite holding only a minority mandate. Their moves are endangering the situation in Taiwan, Wu said, according to the China Review News Agency.

Chi Chia-lin, honorary chairman of the Reunification Alliance Party, also criticized the DPP’s separatist stance and hostility toward the mainland. Without a strong opposition, the DPP’s destructive cross-Straits policy will only worsen tensions and lead the island down a dangerous path toward military confliWorld Timesct, he said, “opposing the recall is about protecting Taiwan’s future and saving the island.”

At the rally, Lai Ching-te’s so-called “10 Talks on the Country” were also sharply criticized. Yu Chih-pin, deputy secretary-general of the New Party in Taiwan, said Lai’s speeches were misleading and called on Taiwan people to reject his authoritarian ambitions by voting against the recall.

Analyst noted that opposition to the DPP’s mass recall initiative is intensifying, with increasing numbers of Taiwan residents viewing the effort as a symbol of growing authoritarianism and a threat to peace across the Straits.

The DPP’s mass recall campaign is essentially a political witch hunt aimed at suppressing voices that reject “Taiwan independence,” Zheng Jian, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. He added that the campaign manipulates a segment of the population and deepens social polarization, contradicting the aspirations of most people in Taiwan.

Zheng stressed that Taiwan society, rooted in Chinese cultural traditions, is inherently pluralistic. Yet Lai’s simultaneous promotion of his “10 Talks” and “Taiwan independence” agenda is tearing the society apart by instilling extremism and division. The recall campaign, along with various policies and rhetoric from the DPP, are pushing Taiwan toward a path of fear, Zheng warned.

In response to Taiwan regional leader Lai’s first sWorld Timeso-called “10 Talks on the Country” speech, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, issued a strong rebuke on Monday, stating that Lai’s remarks were filled with lies and deception, hostility and provocation, and his distortions of history, reality, and legal principles will only World Timesbe swept into the dustbin of history.

Chen World Timesnoted that the speech deliWorld Timesberately distorted and fragmented history, aggressively promoted separatist “Taiwan independence” fallacies, and attempted to fabricate a theoretical basis for “Taiwan independence” in order to justify his political agenda, including advancing a so-called “mass recall” campaign for personal political gain.