Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

It was no accident that Hong Kong officials chose Feb. 28 to conduct a mass arrest of 47 pro-democracy advocates. Feb. 28 is an important national holiday in Taiwan, called 228 Peace Memorial Day, which commemorates the thousands of innocent Taiwanese who were massacred by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) security forces on Feb. 28, 1947.

Beijing wanted Hong Kongers to associate the arrests with the massacre.

The message is clear: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is prepared to use 228 as a “model” to terrorize Hong Kongers into obedience and silence.

From a Taiwanese perspective, the Chinese word tong zhan (統戰) could be interpreted as the war — or effort — to achieve unification. However, this interpretation would have more to do with the unique preoccupations of a threatened nation than with historical accuracy.

The accepted English translation is “united front,” which was born of the collective desire of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to defeat warlords in China in the 1920s. In its current iteration, it is a network of organizations affiliated with the CCP, engaging in political warfare to promote Beijing’s interests and global narrative, and suppress discussions of ideas it deems unfavorable. It is an organized, comprehensive effort to achieve the CCP’s desired ends.