TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The founder of the world's second-largest contract chipmaker on Tuesday (Aug. 16) said that there is a "Cultural Revolution Virus" in China and that the Taiwanese must unite and be determined to "rather die" than be ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

After U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in early August, the CCP carried out military drills and live-fire exercises around the country that began on Aug. 4. Robert Tsao (曹興誠), the founder of Hsinchu-based United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), held a press conference on Aug. 5 calling for unity against the threat from China and announced that he would donate US$100 million (NT$3 billion) to Taiwan's Ministry of Nationa Defense to bolster its capabilities  "safeguarding freedom, democracy, and human rights."

During an interview with Hit FM on Aug. 8, Tsao wore a bullet-proof vest and a helmet to the set. He explained that the main purpose of the gear was to protect himself from "villains."

Tsao said that like the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and the shooting at the Presbyterian Church in Orange County, California, "if there is a need, you can rush to block the bullets at any time, increasing the cost of harming others and reducing casualties." He emphasized that likewise, Taiwan must defend itself, increase the cost of the PLA's invasion of Taiwan to the point of giving them pause, and strengthen self-defense, because it cannot solely rely on the U.S. and "must show its own resolve."

Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests reveal essence of CCP

In an interview with Yang Sen-hong (楊憲宏), journalist and founding chair of Taiwan Association for China Human Rights, on Radio Taiwan International on Tuesday (Aug. 16), Tsao said after the Cultural Revolution, there has always been a "Cultural Revolution Virus" in China. He said this was especially apparent when he witnessed the Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests.

The UMC founder said that after witnessing the changes in Hong Kong, he became even more certain that "Xi Jinping's Cultural Revolution Virus" had broken out and prompted Tsao to harden his anti-communist stance. Tsao called the CCP "hooligans" and urged the Taiwanese to have the resolve to "rather die than let (the CCP) come here" and to unite "without the fear of death or greed for money."

Tsao also sarcastically thanked "Hulu" (gourd), a play on words to mock former Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin (胡錫進), and China's Ambassador to France Lu Shaye (盧沙野) for breaking the "gourd of unification." He said that the result of Lu's "reeducation" is either "death or brain damage," which enables "everyone to recognize the fate of unification with China."

KMT's past karma and present obstacles

He said the U.S. and all countries around the world should directly recognize Taiwan as a sovereign and independent country. However, he said that one of the first obstacles is the existence of Taiwan's "One China Constitution," blurring the country's international status.

Tsao argued that the constitution is a huge debt imposed by the Kuomintang (KMT) on Taiwan, causing the whole world to be confused by its status, and has evolved into the notion that there is "only one China on both sides of the strait." He lamented that this is a "curse imposed by the Kuomintang on Taiwan."

The chip tycoon then criticized the current KMT by saying: "Every day, it colludes with the CCP, talks about one China every day, confuses the international audience, intimidates Taiwanese all day long, and gives up the will to resist." He then warned that if this causes the armed forces to also give up the will to resist, and there is no will to resist internally, "it will be dangerous."