The New Year's Day Flag Raising Ceremony held in front of the Chung Hua Association on New Year's Day in 2022. Participants took a group photo under the flag of the Republic of China in front of the association hall. (World Journal Reporter Qi Chrome/Photography)

Will the Luo Sheng Zhonghua Guild Hall Move Closer to the PRC?

For more than a hundred years, the Luoshen Zhonghua Guild Hall, which has supported the Republic of China (ROC), hung the flag of the Republic of China, and sang the national anthem of the Republic of China, will finally move closer to the PRC (People’s Republic of China) when continues to rule? 

At the New Year’s Day dinner on the day of the inauguration of the four new heads of the Luoshen Zhonghua Guild Hall, representing the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan, officials from the Taipei Cultural and Economic Office in Los Angeles were dissatisfied with the organizer of the Luoshen Zhonghua Guild Hall reading out the congratulatory message from the Chinese Consulate, and left early from the venue, sparked discussion among the community.

Regarding whether the Luoshen Zhonghua Guild Hall will continue to support the Republic of China in the future, or will it gradually move towards mainland China, which is close to the rule of the Chinese Communist Party? Those who participated in the dinner that day said it was unpredictable. Some people from the mainland overseas Chinese group said that they may maintain their preference for the Republic of China for a period, but eventually they will raise the national flag of the People’s Republic of China and sing the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China.

Chen Qizhi, president of the Joint Alumni Association of Chinese Colleges and Universities in Southern California, said that the Taipei Cultural and Economic Office had communicated with the new leadership team of the Chinese Association in advance, but things that shouldn't have happened still happened, so under the premise of feeling disrespect, he had to leave to express protest.

He believes that the PRC has not given up its attempt to infiltrate the traditional overseas Chinese community in the Chinese Guild Hall, and it will not stop in the future. As for the probability of success, it is still within an acceptable range, but it is hard to predict how the future is unimaginable. Since the Zhonghua Guild Hall has its own purpose of establishing and maintaining values, it is hoped that the PRC will not achieve its goals.

Xu Chengwu, who attended the dinner, was a senior overseas Chinese leader of the Chinese mainland overseas Chinese delegation. He said that after entering the banquet hall, he keenly felt that the atmosphere was a little strange and witnessed the whole process.

He believes that the focus of controversy in the activities of the Chinese Association in the future should be to hang the national flag and sing the national anthem. According to his understanding, some old overseas Chinese said that in the future, which side the Chinese Guild Hall prefers on both sides of the strait depends on whether the Kuomintang can govern. If the Kuomintang has no hope of ruling, the Zhonghua Guild Hall will not be able to continue to adhere to its original ideas and will shift from favoring the Republic of China to mainland China. The Chinese Guild Hall may be maintained for some time in the future. It will continue to hang the national flag of the Republic of China and sing the national anthem of the Republic of China, but eventually the national flag of the People’s Republic of China will be raised, and the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China will be sung.

(Source: Compiled from the World Journal)