Taiwan has cast its votes, and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has successfully retained the presidency. Their candidate, Lai Ching-te (William Lai), particularly resonated with voters leaning towards maintaining a distance from China. You can find all the details in today’s special edition of China.Table in Felix Lee’s Feature.
The results are unlikely to please the authorities in Beijing. In the coming days, we will keep you informed about the rhetoric the propagandists will employ against the duly elected Lai. The campaign period has already provided a glimpse, with Lai being branded as a “separatist” – in mainland Chinese logic, he is thus an enemy of China.
Despite this, Lai expressed himself very calmly in the televised debates leading up to the election. A radical move towards independence is not expected from him, only the continuation of the status quo with a bit more friction.
Therefore, this election is not expected to lead to a dramatic shift in relations, especially considering that the DPP has governed for the past eight years. While the more pro-Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) could have brought immediate relaxation, it would have said little about the future. Those who enter China’s embrace can only free themselves from it with difficulty.
So, the election was not the fateful choice that Beijing portrayed it to be. Still, it was a wonderful example of democracy in East Asia.
Despite all the gestures of threat and smear campaigns by the communist leadership in Beijing, a majority of Taiwanese citizens apparently did not succumb to intimidation. They elected the China-critical William Lai Ching-te from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as Taiwan’s new president. After counting votes from 98 percent of polling stations, the 64-year-old Lai, previously the vice president, secured 40.2 percent. His main rival, Hou Yu-ih, nominated by the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT), trailed significantly with 33.4 percent. The opposition had already conceded defeat.
Surprisingly, Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), a relatively less confrontational new party toward China, also performed well. It was the first time the party had nominated a candidate for the presidential election. Ko, who served as Taipei’s mayor between 2014 and 2022, garnered approximately 26.01 percent.
If the KMT and TPP had agreed on a presidential candidate, as initially planned in November, a conservative majority would have been highly likely. The TPP seems to have deprived the KMT of victory. The incumbent president, Tsai Ing-wen from the DPP, was ineligible to run for a third term after two consecutive terms.
While the DPP secured victory in the presidential election, it experienced a phenomenon common to many ruling parties in regional elections: Voters expressed dissatisfaction with domestic realities and favored the opposition.
Simultaneously with the presidential election, the parliament (Legislative Yuan) elections took place, where the DPP had held an absolute majority. The DPP is expected to suffer losses here, ceding ground to the KMT. A closely contested race is emerging for who will hold the majority in the parliament.
The TPP, founded in 2019, will likely have representation in the future parliament. The parliament comprises a total of 113 seats, with the majority of members directly elected and a smaller portion determined by party votes. A simple majority is required for both the direct election of members and the president. The strong performance of Taiwan’s new People’s Party indicates that many Taiwanese are tired of the long-standing polarization between the DPP and KMT. Initial surveys suggest that Ko and his TPP performed well, particularly among young voters.
Approximately 19.5 million Taiwanese were called to vote, with some traveling from the USA, China, Australia and Europe for the vote. Due to concerns about manipulation, postal voting is not possible in Taiwan. Nonetheless, at around 69 percent, voter turnout was lower than in past elections, which typically hovered around 75 percent. Only in the 2016 elections was turnout at around 66 percent.
Even though all three candidates sought to avoid making the tense relationship with the powerful neighbor China the central issue and focused on domestic matters, China’s sovereignty claims overshadowed these elections more than they have in decades, given the almost daily military maneuvers off the coast of Taiwan.
The communist leadership in Beijing has characterized the vote as a choice between war and peace. It rejects talks with William Lai and the incumbent president, Tsai Ing-wen, labeling both as separatists. However, Peking is in constant dialogue with KMT politicians.
Taiwan has cast its votes, and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has successfully retained the presidency. Their candidate, Lai Ching-te (William Lai), particularly resonated with voters leaning towards maintaining a distance from China. You can find all the details in today’s special edition of China.Table in Felix Lee’s Feature.
The results are unlikely to please the authorities in Beijing. In the coming days, we will keep you informed about the rhetoric the propagandists will employ against the duly elected Lai. The campaign period has already provided a glimpse, with Lai being branded as a “separatist” – in mainland Chinese logic, he is thus an enemy of China.
Despite this, Lai expressed himself very calmly in the televised debates leading up to the election. A radical move towards independence is not expected from him, only the continuation of the status quo with a bit more friction.
Therefore, this election is not expected to lead to a dramatic shift in relations, especially considering that the DPP has governed for the past eight years. While the more pro-Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) could have brought immediate relaxation, it would have said little about the future. Those who enter China’s embrace can only free themselves from it with difficulty.
So, the election was not the fateful choice that Beijing portrayed it to be. Still, it was a wonderful example of democracy in East Asia.
Despite all the gestures of threat and smear campaigns by the communist leadership in Beijing, a majority of Taiwanese citizens apparently did not succumb to intimidation. They elected the China-critical William Lai Ching-te from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as Taiwan’s new president. After counting votes from 98 percent of polling stations, the 64-year-old Lai, previously the vice president, secured 40.2 percent. His main rival, Hou Yu-ih, nominated by the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT), trailed significantly with 33.4 percent. The opposition had already conceded defeat.
Surprisingly, Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), a relatively less confrontational new party toward China, also performed well. It was the first time the party had nominated a candidate for the presidential election. Ko, who served as Taipei’s mayor between 2014 and 2022, garnered approximately 26.01 percent.
If the KMT and TPP had agreed on a presidential candidate, as initially planned in November, a conservative majority would have been highly likely. The TPP seems to have deprived the KMT of victory. The incumbent president, Tsai Ing-wen from the DPP, was ineligible to run for a third term after two consecutive terms.
While the DPP secured victory in the presidential election, it experienced a phenomenon common to many ruling parties in regional elections: Voters expressed dissatisfaction with domestic realities and favored the opposition.
Simultaneously with the presidential election, the parliament (Legislative Yuan) elections took place, where the DPP had held an absolute majority. The DPP is expected to suffer losses here, ceding ground to the KMT. A closely contested race is emerging for who will hold the majority in the parliament.
The TPP, founded in 2019, will likely have representation in the future parliament. The parliament comprises a total of 113 seats, with the majority of members directly elected and a smaller portion determined by party votes. A simple majority is required for both the direct election of members and the president. The strong performance of Taiwan’s new People’s Party indicates that many Taiwanese are tired of the long-standing polarization between the DPP and KMT. Initial surveys suggest that Ko and his TPP performed well, particularly among young voters.
Approximately 19.5 million Taiwanese were called to vote, with some traveling from the USA, China, Australia and Europe for the vote. Due to concerns about manipulation, postal voting is not possible in Taiwan. Nonetheless, at around 69 percent, voter turnout was lower than in past elections, which typically hovered around 75 percent. Only in the 2016 elections was turnout at around 66 percent.
Even though all three candidates sought to avoid making the tense relationship with the powerful neighbor China the central issue and focused on domestic matters, China’s sovereignty claims overshadowed these elections more than they have in decades, given the almost daily military maneuvers off the coast of Taiwan.
The communist leadership in Beijing has characterized the vote as a choice between war and peace. It rejects talks with William Lai and the incumbent president, Tsai Ing-wen, labeling both as separatists. However, Peking is in constant dialogue with KMT politicians.
