More than 19.5 million Taiwanese voters cast ballots today, January 13, to elect a new leader and members of the Legislative Yuan, in an election closely watched by mainland China and others.
According to CNA, this leadership election is a three-horse race to choose a successor after Tsai Ing-wen of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will step down in May and will not be able to run for re-election due to her two terms in office. The election process has been fierce in recent months, with candidates campaigning until the evening of January 12.
From left to right: Candidates Lai Thanh Duc, Hau Huu Nghi and Kha Van Triet
Observers say the key issues influencing the vote are relations with Beijing, economic policies and policies towards young people. The Democratic Progressive Party is represented by Lai Ching-teh, 65, who became Taiwan's vice president four years ago as a running mate of Ms. Tsai. According to AFP, Lai has been more outspoken about Taiwan's independence, an issue considered a red line for mainland China.
The Global Times quoted Chen Ban-hua, spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, as saying that Lai's statements showed that if elected, he would push for "Taiwan independence" and create a dangerous situation in the Taiwan Strait. Lai had previously pledged "unwavering" support for maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and declared his willingness to open up exchanges and cooperation with Beijing "on the basis of equality and respect." He also pledged to raise wages, cut taxes and build more social housing.
The Kuomintang (KMT) is represented by Hou You-yi, 67, a former police chief and former mayor of New Taipei City. Hou, a candidate for Taiwan's opposition party and a pro-Beijing candidate, described the election as a choice between "war and peace," saying his three-decade career in law enforcement would help him "protect Taiwan." "I can maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait and will do my best to avoid war and help people live a peaceful life," he said. He criticized the DPP for what he called "the worst economy in 14 years," and pledged to negotiate with Beijing as soon as possible on issues related to a cross-strait trade deal.
The third party running this time is the People's Party (TPP) with its representative candidate, Ke Van-tze (65 years old). Mr. Ke is a former surgeon and was the first independent candidate to be elected Mayor of Taipei in 2014. According to The Washington Post , analysts say that many voters under 40 years old, who are tired of the debate surrounding the relationship with Beijing, now want politicians to focus more on everyday issues such as inflation, stagnant wages, rising housing prices, climate change, custody rights for same-sex couples, etc. According to observers, Mr. Ke claims to be able to bring a practical approach to Taiwan's internal problems and economic challenges, but lacks experience in international relations.
US to send delegation to Taiwan
According to CNN, citing senior US officials, President Joe Biden will send an unofficial delegation to Taiwan after the island's elections. The delegation is expected to include former senior officials, but the specific composition is not yet clear. Xinhua News Agency on January 11 quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning as saying that the election in the Taiwan region is purely China's internal affair, and at the same time called on the US not to interfere in the election in the Taiwan region in any form. At a press conference yesterday, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense announced that the country's military will take all necessary measures to crush plots demanding "Taiwan independence" in any form.
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