Taiwan's main opposition party has punished two young former officials for publicly criticizing its chairwoman and its China-friendly direction, a sign of deepening splits inside the KMT.

• Former party spokesman Hsiao Ching-yen was suspended for three years, and former deputy youth affairs director Ting Yu was expelled outright.
• Both had repeatedly attacked chairwoman Cheng Li-wun and the party line in public, prompting more than 100 party delegates to demand discipline at last month's national congress.
• Political talk show host Li Cheng-hao, kicked out of the KMT himself in 2019 for criticizing then-candidate Han Kuo-yu, joked that his list of "juniors" keeps growing.
• Online reaction leaned against the party, with many saying the KMT no longer tolerates dissent and urging the two to leave for good.

Outlook: The purge is likely to push more young members out and sharpen the fight over whether the KMT softens or hardens its stance toward Beijing.