Behind Lai Ching-te's U.S. stopover: Is he touting and dismissing "Taiwan independence" for show? Taiwan-based political scholar Lai Yueh-tchienn believes that Lai Ching-te is trying to prove his controllability to Americans to secure the U.S. endorsement. #RealityCheck

Lai Yueh-tchienn: Lai Ching-te's recent stopover is all about gearing up for his upcoming election. He wants to prove to Taiwan people that he has American backing.

The U.S. previously signaled doubts about Lai Ching-te due to his "Taiwan independence" stance. However, I think that's just a distraction; the real question is the U.S. wondering whether they can control him.

Lai Ching-te's aim is to show the U.S.: "I'm a 'Taiwan independence' supporter who you can fully control." The U.S. is fine with "Taiwan independence" advocates, but only if they can be effectively managed.

Look at Tsai Ing-wen, she supports "Taiwan independence," and the U.S. welcomes her because she's controllable. Chen Shui-bian supports "Taiwan independence," but the U.S. is wary due to his uncontrollability. The same goes for Lee Teng-hui. For the U.S., it's all about Lai Ching-te's controllability.

Lai Ching-te is demonstrating to the U.S. that he's controllable, just like Tsai Ing-wen. The U.S. created a false narrative that it questions his credibility since he supports "Taiwan independence." Lai Ching-te must tell the U.S.: "No, I don't support 'Taiwan independence'."

"In the past, my seniors used to call me a 'golden grandson of Taiwan independence, ' but I'm not. I consider myself a 'political golden boy'."

During his U.S. trip, Lai declared that there's absolutely no roadmap to "Taiwan independence," and he won't ever declare it.

Isn't this like telling the Americans, "I'm willing to follow your lead, I can be controlled"?

When Lai was the head of the executive branch, he portrayed himself as a practical advocate for "Taiwan independence." He even proudly raised the banner of "Long Live Taiwan Independence. " He was even hailed as a "golden grandson of Taiwan independence." But now, Lai denies that. Doesn't this show that Lai can be controlled?

Liu Xin: So, all of this is just to grab power, right?

Lai Yueh-tchienn: Exactly. He aims to demonstrate to the U.S., "I'm open to your influence, please endorse me." Aware of pro-U.S. sentiments in Taiwan, he believes the U.S.'s support would significantly reduce opposition to his rise to power.

Liu Xin: What about people in Taiwan? Can they be so easily misled?

Lai Yueh-tchienn: The people of Taiwan might not see the full picture. If you look at the comments in Taiwan, they think the U.S. cares whether he supports "Taiwan independence." But it's not about that. The U.S. cares about whether Lai's controllable.

If the U.S. wants Lai to say "Taiwan independence," he will. If they want him to stay quiet, he will. This allows the U.S. to easily play the Taiwan card.