China Looms over Taiwan Election; US-China Military Talks Resume; Bush's Legs and Putin's Eggs; Brittleness in Putin's System; China and Russia in Africa
Natto Thoughts for the Week -- January 11, 2024
Taiwan Election 2024: voters focus on identity, relationship with China and livelihood issues while China sticks to its stance on Taiwan unification
On Saturday, January 13th, Taiwan will have its 8th direct presidential election. This year’s election broke from the traditional two- party race and features a three-way contest between the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the more Beijing-friendly party Kuomingtang (KMT), and the newly founded Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). The parties’ candidates are as follows:
DPP candidates:
o President: William Lai Ching-te 賴清德
o Vice president: Hsiao Bi-khim 蕭美琴
KMT candidates:
o President: Hou Yu-ih 侯友宜
o Vice president: Jaw Shaw-kong 趙少康
TPP candidates:
o President: Ko Wen-je 柯文哲
o Vice president: Cynthia Wu Hsin-ying 吳欣盈
Issues for Voters in Taiwan
The issue of identity – “Chinese” or “Taiwanese” – and Taiwan’s relationship with China have been two of the most significant political divisions in Taiwan. However, identity questions coul…
