[pasabagi]

I think there's a degree of straight cultural influence from european fascism (the nationalist's elite units were trained by german officers in the interwar years), plus having the same basic project (the nationalists were trying to create a nation for the Han[0]), and the same methods (extrajudicial violence, state terror[1]).

I agree that it's hard to use european political categories in east asia, but I think the KMT is a neater fit for fascism than a lot of european fascists (e.g. Spain's nationalsts). I think the problem is less an east-west thing and more just that fascism is a really vague category.

[0]: dunno if that counts as an ethnicity, but dunno if that matters.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Terror_(Taiwan)