Chinese Democratic Progressive Party
Political party in Taiwan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Chinese Democratic Progressive Party (Chinese: 中國民主進步黨; pinyin: Zhōngguó Mínzhǔ Jìnbù Dǎng) was a political party in Taiwan. Before its dissolution, the party was chaired by Zhou Qingjun, who was also the president of the Patriot Alliance Association. Zhang Xiuye served as the secretary-general, and Chang An-lo (leader of the Chinese Unification Promotion Party) held the position of honorary director.[1]
Chinese Democratic Progressive Party 中國民主進步黨 | |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Zhou Qingjun |
| Secretary-General | Zhang Xiuye |
| Honorary Director | Chang An-lo |
| Founded | October 16, 2005 |
| Dissolved | April 29, 2020 |
| Headquarters | 3F, No. 201, Xining South Road, Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan |
| Ideology | Chinese unification Chinese conservatism Anti–Taiwan independence |
| Political position | Far-right |
| National affiliation | Pro-Beijing camp |
The party's last registered representative before its dissolution was Jiang Zhongcheng,[2] a former leader of the "Heilei Hall" of the Four Seas Gang, who had been arrested on charges including organized crime, fraud, and extortion.[3]
History
The Chinese Democratic Progressive Party emerged in Taipei on October 16, 2005. Following a swift application on October 18, the Ministry of the Interior formally approved its status on December 9, 2005, designating it as the 114th registered party. Most political analysts at the time viewed its debut as a direct "spoof" or counter-maneuver against the Pan-Green aligned Taiwan Nationalist Party, which had been established in Puli, Nantou shortly before.[1] True to its name, the party maintained an aggressive pro-unification platform, pushing for the eventual integration of Taiwan with the People's Republic of China.
During the 2018 Taiwanese local elections, secretary-general Zhang Xiuye ran for a seat in the Taipei City Council. However, she and Zhou Qingjun were investigated for receiving illegal political donations from China, Hong Kong, and Macau, totaling approximately NT$1.89 million, which were used to fund campaign banquets.[4]
In the election, Zhang received only 202 votes and failed to win a seat. Following a legal trial, Zhang was sentenced to three years and five months in prison for bribery, and Zhou was sentenced to three years and four months. Zhou's case was later dismissed after he died from COVID-19 in June 2021. Zhang Xiuye and Zhou's wife, Lin Mingmei, subsequently fled to the People's Republic of China to avoid imprisonment and are currently wanted by Taiwanese authorities.[5]
The party was officially dissolved by the Ministry of the Interior on April 29, 2020, as it failed to comply with the new Political Parties Act, which required parties to register as legal corporations.