Taiwan elects president amid growing threats from China’s regime

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Taiwan Elects President Under the Shadow of Threat from Chinese Regime

Taiwanese citizens began voting on Saturday to elect a new president amidst growing threats from China to end the island’s autonomy. The new president will have the uphill task of maintaining democracy in the face of pressure from China.

On the eve of the vote, China urged Taiwanese citizens to make “the right decision” to avoid war and described the island’s favorite and current vice president, Lai Ching-te, as a dangerous “separatist.” The number of polling stations opened at 8:00 a.m. local time and is spread across the territory that has 23 million inhabitants. The voting will close at 4:00 p.m. for these single-round elections.

The results of the election will be closely monitored from China and the United States, the island’s main supporter and supplier of weapons. Three men are vying to succeed President Tsai Ing-wen, whose term has been marked by increasing diplomatic, economic, and military pressure from Beijing.

Taiwan and mainland China have been de facto separated since 1949, with China never stopping proclaiming its intention to “reunify” the country. The island is crucial to the world economy, and China has increased military pressure on the territory in recent years.

In addition to choosing a president, the Taiwanese must also renew their Parliament. Analysts suggest that Lai, 64, will win the presidential election, but that his party may lose its majority in the 113-seat chamber.

The status of Taiwan is one of the thorniest issues in the rivalry between China and the United States, which compete for influence in this strategic region. Washington urged Beijing not to interfere in the voting and to refrain from exerting “further military pressure or coercive actions” following the results.

The election campaign closed on Friday with rallies of the three parties in Taipei that brought together hundreds of thousands of people. It is clear that the election results will have far-reaching implications, not just for Taiwan, but also for the relations between China and the United States.