On Jan. 13, 2024, the citizens of Taiwan elected a new president and parliament. The DPP The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led in the polls for a long time before the elections – but was a red rag for Beijing, where the leading candidate was considered a dangerous "separatist", i.e. a criminal. Beijing's willingness to engage in dialog in the event of a DPP victory was considered to be low. The DPP's insistence on Taiwan's independence could provide grounds for an escalation, even if the DPP is not radical at all and does not have formal independence as its goal. The KMT The more traditional National People's Party (Kuomintang, KMT), on the other hand, advocated talks with Beijing and good economic relations with its large neighbor. Relations would almost certainly be better under the KMT, but this is precisely what many young voters criticized before the election.
Gunter Schubert: “We should not play Taiwan policy off against China”
In this interview, Gunter Schubert from the University of Tübingen argues for a Taiwan policy that is guided by interests without overly normative connotations. He believes that the ruling DPP is primarily responsible for finding a way out of the deadlocked domestic political situation in Taiwan.
By Leonardo Pape