Chinese war games expected to boost support for Taiwan’s government as anti-Beijing sentiment hardens
- Political analysts say even the more mainland-friendly parties such as the KMT will be forced to change their stance to stay in tune with public opinion
- Most Taiwanese welcomed the visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and welcomed the international attention it brought despite the furious response by Beijing
They said this would also have an impact on the 2024 presidential elections, where candidates would have to be US-friendly and hostile towards Beijing to have any chance of winning.
Pelosi, second in line for the US presidency, became the highest-ranking American official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. Her whirlwind visit last week enraged Beijing, which sees the island as part of its territory and the trip as a major violation of its sovereignty.
“Actually, her visit was welcomed by the majority of the people in Taiwan and only some hardline pro-unification groups were against it,” said Wang Kung-yi, head of the Taiwan International Strategic Study Society, a Taipei’s think tank.
He said Pelosi’s visit and Beijing’s furious response had given Taiwan much-needed international attention.