Global Impact: as Taiwan heads to the polls, what does the island’s presidential election mean for cross-strait and US-China relations?
- Global Impact is a weekly curated newsletter featuring a news topic originating in China with a significant macro impact for our newsreaders around the world
- In this issue, we look ahead to January 13, when 19 million Taiwanese voters will head to the polls to decide who will take over from Tsai Ing-wen as president
In just one week, the hotly anticipated presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan will be finished, and the choice of the self-ruled island’s voters will finally be known.
Candidates of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Beijing-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) are vying for the top job, following years of strained cross-strait relations since Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning DPP was first elected president in 2016. Voters will also be electing a new legislative body.
The stakes are particularly high, as the crucial election on January 13 is poised to shape cross-strait relations as well as bilateral ties between mainland China and the United States.
The DPP candidate, Vice-President William Lai Ching-te, is currently ahead in the polls, ahead of KMT’s Hou Yu-ih and TPP’s Ko Wen-je. The KMT, though, has a slight lead in the polls for the 133 legislative seats.
In the lead-up to the widely watched election, presidential candidates have been scrambling to assure voters that they are the best choice to achieve cross-strait peace. Tensions have been high as Beijing has stepped up military, political and economic pressure on the self-ruled island, particularly over the past year.