but i have to hold this way because i am responsible for the future, our country, for the people talking about no danger. they live for their mission. people need to know what is happening there with the courageous effort against corruption and political crimes. in our series guardians of truth, watch now on you to the d. w documentary. this is 11 years, asia coming up to date, a history making visit across the taiwan straits. my younger become the 1st current or former taiwanese leader to visit china in 74 years. what's his motivation? and what does it say about his political party? the gorman? tongues position on beijing?

ah. irish manager, welcome to d. w. news asia. glad you could join us. it's a momentous day and ties across the taiwan straits for the 1st time in the modern political history of taiwan. a former leader is visiting china, former president maryan joe arrived in shanghai on monday, becoming the 1st former or current. ty, when he's president, to do so, since 1949. that's when members of the party, he belongs to the goldman tongue, lead by them leader chunk i shake, fled china after losing 2 mounts, tombs, communists in the chinese civil war. since then, the gorman tongue has shaped taiwan to political discourse, and to a great extent, the islands relations with china. because on the little 1949 taiwan

tam t soldiers prepared to defend the island. the threats of a communist invasion ever present. for cam t leader, chiang kai shek taiwan is a temporary retreat and all of china will one day be reunited. under his rule. that dream eluded cheng. he would rule only taiwan until his death in the mid 19 seventy's. there was a decade too, when the key empty suffered a series of diminishing diplomatic setbacks. taiwan lost its seat in the united nations to the communist lead peoples republic of china. you, as president nixon visited beijing, and the u. s. switched diplomatic relations away from taiwan to china. taiwan still followed in the footsteps of its democratic ally in 1996, the island held its 1st national election and the camp. he put its platform to the

people. despite his vehement anti communist origins, the k m. t emerged as distinctly pro china, partly due to party diehards who backed or unification with the mainland. and partly for pragmatic reasons. china became the islands biggest trading partner. many in the cam t have seen close ties of paging as the best way to keep taiwan safe and prosperous, including my young jo, the former camp t president presided over a thought in cross street relations that culminated in a meeting with the chinese president. she's in penguin in singapore or but that thought has again turned to a freeze. the ruling deep party has picks the anger of a communist china. that's now a global superpower. it's facing talking of force reunification. and once again, i one the one time stronghold at the cam t is on high alert for invasion. and

let's get more context and this from deed up look, responded william young and ty pay, william, would it be a stretch to say that for the longest time taiwan has been the goldman dung and the goldman tongue taiwan will perish. i think that's a very good way of summarizing the history of time one. when we look at the camps, he retreated from china to time one after the civil war and 949 for decades was really under its iron fist rule. and it's a one party authoritarianism until the late eighty's and the early ninety's. when finally time one took the decision and transition into a full fledged democracy. we have to remember the time one's 1st democratic presidential election was only held in 996. that wasn't even that long ago,

so it is correct to say for all of the decades before 996, taiwan was basically under the control of this one party. and this one party definitely still has a lot of legacy and also baggage. but at the same time, influence over time, once politics. and you will think that a part that for the communists in china would be a valid li against relations with beijing. but that's not been the case. always has it. yeah, exactly. ever since the presidential election in 996 and then there was the 1st power transition in 2000. we started really seeing the cam t position themselves as this party still has a lot more connections and also the ways and the, i think means to just kind of communicate and help exchanges with the communist party. i think one of the reason is because the original goal of the kmc

is to retake and reclaim china. and at the same time, the democratic progressive party, which is the current ruling party, has always feature and present themselves as this taiwan independence movement and town independent parties. so that is why i think when we look at the cam t being positioned inside to one's own context. they are the defender of the republic of china and the. busy representation of the identity of china rather than the identity of this very new and young democracy of taiwan, that the current ruling party dp represents. so when a former taiwanese leader like my, you and your from the government tongue visits, china, what is the signal it sends out to beaching? i think the sick know is twofold. the sick note of aging is basically the camped. he still has a good wealth and they still think and consider relationship and dialogue and

exchange with the communist party as very, very important who very over all political agenda and their political survival here in taiwan. so that is basically in a way, if not, kowtowing is the cam t trying to hand out the olive branch and hoping the aging is going to respond with some sort of favor. and some of the experts have rudy worn big camp. my angel could potentially be walking into the trap that was set up by beijing because the china now is very different from the china. a my angel had to deal with when he was stowing power between 282016. this is a much more ambitious and much more heavy handed and confident china. so in a way, a lot of the terms of the exchanges will have to be made by b jane and the cam t in mind. you could only follow those terms and then basically from there on have

any sort of a dialogue that's being set and dictated by aging. that's really been a lot of interest behind this visit. stay with us on the line william as be here. what time when he's themselves have been saying about it. my or his party is relatively pro china, so i'm not surprised. he's going to leave at china. j my. when the combing tank party was empower the people on both sides of the taiwan strait, interacted very often. but in the past 8 years, when the democratic progressive party was empower, you can see that everything has been frozen. also because of the pandemic, taiwan, the economy is suffering hockey. i don't know of miles triple e relations, but at least the people on both sides of the street can interact more. and that's good because obviously tensions between taiwan and china are rising now. so i don't think it's about thing that my travel to china, we think is the highest we don't, i think the question on everyone's mind is why is my young jo traveling to china right now? i mean, on the surface, of course,

he's trying to present this as a way for he him to pay tribute to his ancestors because he is his family is coming from china. but i think deep down this is in fact a very calculated political game. we know that one is only 10 months away until the next presidential election and the camp t is desperately trying to separate itself and find a very unique footing on the issue of cross relations. and so this is a chance for the campaign to present themselves as a part party that's still capable of interacting and have dialogue with the gene. and they can present themselves as this asian of peace rather than in the while at the same time, present the frame, the ruling party db as the party that's only going to be bring war or conflict, a timeline. but you have a majority of balls in taiwan and they have continuously indicated that people have a not to favorable view of beijing,

especially when it comes to the last few years. so when it comes to china, what exactly is the came dis, bitch. i think the kansas pitch right now is basically they are the party that can still maintain status quo. ensure the time, one way of life is not going to be affected by a more emboldened and also a more ambitious b jane because of the last few years, especially over the last year we see a lot of the military publication and also military exercises around time. one by the people's liberation army and they are basically going to use this trip as a way to tell or try to convince the tony's public. they are the party that is not going to continue to create this kind of tension with aging. and, but at the same time ryder, there might be more economic benefits. and at the same time, more prosper, prosperity and just, you know, basically bring back the status quo that they consider as been missing since 2016.

when the current president sign one came to power, does the came to truly believe that this visit will have an impact on time between beijing and type pay? i think honestly, they are more aiming for the purpose and the result of this trips for the domestic audience, i think deep down they understand how now aging is the one that's really going to be picking and choosing the partner that they want to work with in tie, pay, and so far, basically in beijing, my, we're in, she's in pings, claimed none of the political party fully, i think, take all the boxes of the ideal partner over there, over here in ty pay. so what they can only do is to try to present this as at least they get some a meetings with communist party officials and uses to amplify the message and try to friend themselves as the party that is going to continue to bring time going forward in the international community without creating all the chaos and war in

the same time, accusing the ruling party c p, p, as the party that's having to close a connection and relationship with washington. and then that's going to only trigger and anger beijing further. as we know that the current current present time one is due to be traveling to central america and making a stop in l. a. and meeting the current us house speaker, kevin mccarthy. and that meeting and trip is likely going to also be a source for the framing over here for my enjoy. and also the kmc trips to china for domestic consumption in taiwan. and thanks very much for bringing us a context yang in type a thank you. so much thank you. and a quick look now at some of the stories making news around asia. taiwan has ordered flag from his embassy on duty off to the central american country, open diplomatic relations with china. taiwan accuse china of using coercion and intimidation to your away if few remaining allies this reached by honduras leaves

taiwan with the diplomatic recognition of only 13 states. man, mazel, delita has told troops they need to take decisive action against those fighting army rule may not hang was speaking during annual armed forces, day ceremonies, mandatory sees par and imprison elected officials following a cool in 2021. and south korea says it's begun naval maneuvers with the united states shortly off, the north korea to short range ballistic methods. not the rear 7th launch this month came into patted protests against the on going drills. that's it. but today will suit more of a she's got it all say will gray. he will be

with me. what people have to say matters to us a little that's why we listen to their stories. reporter every weekend on d. w. a . travel chaos in germany as rail and airport workers stage the biggest strike in decade will get the latest on the disruption that from our reporter in cologne. all the coming up is this, the future of delivery?

well, introduce you to feel a robot on the brink of becoming a postal worker is dw business. i'm k, ferguson. thanks for joining me. germany's transport system is on its knees to day as workers stage the biggest walk out in decades. all long distance trains of being canceled on there are no flights in or out of munich and frankfort airports, local transit, shipping routes, and parts of the actual bon have also been affected by the war case. the via the union is calling for a 10 percent pay increase to keep pace with soaring inflation. germany estate, rail operator door. javan has called a strike at groundless and unnecessary more in this not to bring in reporter christy plots. and she's in the city of cologne. christy, how much disruption are you seeing? well, k, the colona, a train station, which you can see behind me is usually catering to over 300.