Magazine Taiwanese voters have made their choice. Now it’s up to President-elect Lai Ching-te – and the reactions from Washington and Beijing – to shape the future. Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te, also known as William Lai, left, celebrates his victory with running mate Bi-khim Hsiao in Taipei, Taiwan, Jan. 13, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Louise … Read more
The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Dr. Benjamin Tsai – senior associate at TD International (TDI) and former U.S. government intelligence officer on Northeast Asia and the Middle East – is the 397th … Read more
On January 13, Taiwan will hold presidential and legislative elections. Taiwan’s voters will cast one vote for president, one vote for a candidate running for the legislature in their home district, and one vote for their preferred party. The candidate with the most votes will win the presidency, even if they have a plurality rather … Read more
On January 9, just days before the election, Taiwanese received an unusual surprise. At 3:04 p.m. local time, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) issued a warning about the flyover of a rocket carrying a newly launched People’s Republic of China (PRC) satellite. The alert went out to every person’s cell phone. It was the … Read more
While the year of democracy began with something of a farce in Bangladesh, far more credible elections will be held this weekend in Taiwan. Given how China may react to the result – as well as Taiwan’s significance as an Indo-Pacific player in its own regard – these elections are highly consequential. For Australia there … Read more
In the final days before voting on January 13, Taiwan’s major political parties are holding their last large-scale campaign rallies – and also increasingly leaning into partisan attacks on each other. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate William Lai has come under fire by the pan-Blue camp for what is framed as an illegal structure owned … Read more
The presidential election in Taiwan, set for January 13, is proving to be a tight race between the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate, Lai Ching-te, more commonly called William Lai, and the Kuomintang candidate, Hou Yu-ih; the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) candidate, Ko Wen-je’s campaign is increasingly becoming a lost cause. The most recent … Read more
The presidential election in Taiwan in January 2024 is seen as an inflection point with broad implications for Taiwan, China, and the United States. However, the election is unlikely to represent a turning point for U.S. policy toward Taiwan and China in 2024. The main reason for continuity in U.S. policy toward Taiwan and China … Read more
In Taiwan, the drama of the opposition’s attempts to coalesce into a unified ticket has finally come to a close. After an Oscar worthy effort, complete with attempts to coax one another into a hotel room, a reading of a private text, and public squabbling by the candidates and their campaign staff, the Kuomintang (KMT) … Read more
Ko Wen-je , the former Taipei mayor currently running for president, has stolen the spotlight in Taiwan’s 2024 presidential election. Before this election cycle, only those who followed Taiwan’s domestic politics likely knew who he was, where he came from, and what makes his quirky brand of populism so appealing to some Taiwanese voters. In … Read more