China’s shadow casts shadow over Taiwan election: Canadian correspondent in Taiwan reports | Canada Home

RCIRelease date: 21:20

November 13, 2023.

Taiwan’s general election will be held in two months, and the campaigns for candidates from various parties have entered the sprint stage. Philippe Leblanc, Radio-Canada’s Taiwan correspondent, reported that the top issues of the four participating political parties are cross-Strait relations. On the other hand, the Chinese government’s attempts to influence Taiwan’s election are also a shadow hanging over the election campaign that cannot be ignored.

Lai Ching-te, the leading Democratic Progressive Party candidate in the election and current Taiwan Vice President, said at a campaign rally last week that if elected, he would be committed to maintaining cross-strait peace. But he also said that he would cooperate with democratic countries to defend Taiwan’s democracy and freedom.

The main political opponent of the DPP, the Kuomintang, claims to be more capable of dialogue with the mainland. Its candidate Hou Youyi’s slogan isCross-strait peace, no war!

According to Taiwan’s constitution, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who has been reelected for two terms, cannot run for office again.

In addition to the Kuomintang and the Democratic Progressive Party, there are also candidates from the Taiwan People’s Party and former Taipei Mayor Ko Wenzhe and 73-year-old Taiwanese tycoon Terry Gou who is running as an independent candidate. Guo’s current approval rating is between 5% and 10%.

Professor Zhang Junhao from the Department of Political Science of Tunghai University said in an interview with reporters that it now seems likely that the DPP will win this election and continue to be in power. He believes that what deserves most attention at this stage is what countermeasures will be taken by the other side, because the ultimate goal of the Chinese government is to prevent Lai Qingde and the Democratic Progressive Party from being elected.

China’s tax authorities suddenly launched a tax audit on mainland enterprises of Foxconn Group founded by Terry Gou last month. Many Taiwanese analysts believe that this move is intended tobeatGou Taiming asked him to withdraw from the general election, thus providing support for the Kuomintang and the People’s Party.blue and whiteCreate conditions. Because if the two parties join forces, they may be able to defeat the DPP and win the election. In fact, as early as when Terry Gou announced his candidacy, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office made no secret of its displeasure.

However, Professor Fan Shiping of the Department of East Asian Studies at National Taiwan Normal University said that the more unabashedly the Chinese government intervenes in Taiwan’s elections, the easier it will be to trigger a backlash in Taiwan’s public opinion.

In 2019, the Hong Kong SAR government submitted a draft amendment to the “Fugitive Offenders Ordinance”, which caused a large-scaleReturningThe demonstrations also aroused concerns among Taiwanese people. Fan Shiping believes that this prompted more voters to choose the Tsai Ing-wen government in the general election a year later.

Zhang Junhao pointed out that China held large-scale military exercises when US Congress Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. This incident seems to have made Taiwanese public opinion more inclined to maintain peaceful relations with the mainland. This change will also affect the stance of the future ruling party and cross-strait relations. Although the DPP has always been regarded as a party that resists China, he believes that the party should make adjustments in the future.

Taiwan’s presidential election will be held on January 13, 2024. Voters will also elect the next legislators.

(Radio-Canada, Philippe Leblanc, VOA, adaptation en chinois par Wei Wu)

Related reports

[Report]Taking a direct look at Taiwan’s civilian national defense training, military expert Su Ziyun: Knowing the military is not bellicose; Taiwan does not provoke but does not show weakness

[Analysis]What does it mean for Canada and Taiwan to start exploratory negotiations on a foreign investment promotion and protection agreement?

The article comes from RCI: China’s shadow casts a shadow over Taiwan’s election: Canadian correspondent in Taiwan reports