Taiwan votes for new president amid growing threat from China

CNN
—

Taiwan goes to the polls on Saturday, but this week the island’s future is at a “crossroads”, the country warned, after years of growing threats from China. It is attracting attention because it has the potential to create a reaction.

The autonomous island of 24 million people will elect both a new president and parliament amid rising tensions with China. China has grown stronger under leader Xi Jinping and increasingly belligerent toward Taiwan.

This tumultuous election campaign, itself a testament to Taiwan’s vibrant democratic credentials, combines livelihood issues with the difficult question of how to deal with its authoritarian neighbor in the northwest. It’s here.

China’s ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan as its own territory, even though it has never ruled it. Mr. Xi called the unification of Taiwan and the mainland a “historical necessity.”

The results, expected to be announced on Saturday night, will not only determine Taiwan’s future but also address recent efforts by the United States and China to rebuild relations with China and stabilize volatile relations. It can be a test.

The Chinese government, which routinely sends fighter jets and warships near Taiwan’s skies and waters, has called the vote a choice between “peace and war, prosperity and decline.” On Wednesday, he warned Taiwanese voters to “make the right choice at the crossroads in cross-strait relations,” slamming the Democratic Progressive Party (DP), which won the past two presidential elections.

In the final days leading up to the vote, candidates toured the island’s major cities, holding nightly rallies featuring rock music, emotional speeches and the rhythmic chanting of slogans by large crowds.

Three men are vying to succeed President Tsai Ing-wen, the island’s first female leader.

Over the past eight years, Tsai has raised Taiwan’s global profile, strengthened ties with democratic forces, and pursued progressive policies at home, including making Taiwan the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. However, his party has also faced criticism on the following points: economic problems.

Relations with China deteriorated rapidly after the Chinese government cut off most communication with Taipei following Taipei’s victory in the 2016 general election, leading to Taipei’s landslide re-election four years later. In response, economic and military pressure was further intensified.

Lai Ching-de, the current vice president of the Tsai administration, is seeking a third term as a member of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which defends Taiwan’s de facto sovereignty and independence from China. This is unprecedented in Taiwan’s nearly 30-year democratic history and represents further rejection by Taiwanese voters of Beijing’s strong-arm tactics.

Hou Yuxi, the city’s mayor and former police chief, is the candidate of the main opposition party, the Kuomintang (Kuomintang), which traditionally supports closer ties across the Strait. A Kuomintang victory would be welcomed by Beijing and signal that voters may want détente.

The third candidate, Ko Wen-ji, is from the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which he founded in 2019 to challenge Taiwan’s political monopoly. Mr. Ke also supports closer ties with China, but says he has no more respect for the Chinese government than the Kuomintang.

View this interactive content on CNN.com

The race is close. In the final poll before the 10-day blackout period, Mr. Lai had a slight lead over Mr. Hou, followed by Mr. Ke.

The Chinese government, which openly loathes the Democratic Progressive Party and Mr. Lai and backs the victory of Mr. Hou of the Kuomintang Party, is ramping up pressure on Taiwan ahead of the vote.

It imposed sanctions on exports to Taiwan, flew reconnaissance balloons over the island, and unveiled a new aircraft carrier, the Fujian, named after the mainland province closest to Taiwan.

Taipei also accuses China of stepping up disinformation campaigns and amplifying talking points in favor of pro-China candidates as part of election interference.

China has long used a mixture of carrots and sticks to persuade Taiwan, but the past eight years have been mostly sticks. Taiwan’s increasingly belligerent stance and Taiwan’s authoritarian turn under Xi Jinping are further alienating the Taiwanese people. Currently, less than 10% support immediate or eventual unification, and less than 3% identify as primarily Chinese.

View this interactive content on CNN.com

The 33-year-old writer, who gave his last name only as Tsang, said he values ​​cross-Strait relations and Taiwan’s democratic values ​​most.

“Taiwan is a different country than China, and we need to let the international world know that we are different,” he told CNN at a Democratic Progressive Party rally on Thursday.

But relations with China are not the only thing Taiwanese voters care about.

Despite the growing threat from Beijing, some people, especially younger voters, say China is not the main concern of this election — despite President Xi’s rhetoric. In any case, I don’t think the current situation will change in the short term.

Rather, they are more concerned with economic and livelihood issues, from Taiwan’s notoriously stagnant wages to unaffordable housing.

Analysts say this is where the TPP, which advertises itself as a “pragmatic” and “centrist” party, is attracting young voters.

“Leaders often say that our economy has improved. But we don’t really feel that way at the local level,” said Wu, a transportation worker and father of two. said the surname at Thursday’s TPP rally.

“What we’re seeing is that house prices and the cost of living are rising, so people need to be very careful about how they spend their money,” he added.

Since Friday, the entire island has started exercising. Absentee voting is not allowed in Taiwan. That means voters must travel to their home county to vote.

Almost all high-speed rail tickets departing Taipei for the southern part of the island during the day on Friday and Saturday were sold out several days in advance.

Some voters returned from overseas.

Dan Chan, 36, who works in finance in Hong Kong, flew back to Taipei on Friday. The most important issue to him is Taiwan’s sovereignty – he has never trusted China, and Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong has only strengthened his belief, he said.

“If Taiwan didn’t have China as a neighbor today, I might not have the energy to go back and vote in Taiwan,” he says.