Taiwan’s Presidential Election
Lai Ching-te Is Elected Who Is Lai? Why the Election Matters The Loss of an Ally
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How Taiwan’s Election Fits Into the Island’s Past, and Its Future
Tensions over the island’s status have flared repeatedly for decades, especially as Washington’s relationship with China has grown more strained.
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Supporters of Lai Ching-te, who won his presidential race, at a campaign rally in Taipei on Saturday. Credit...Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times
By The New York Times
Jan. 14, 2024
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Taiwan’s election on Saturday has big implications not only for the 23 million people who live on the island, but also for China’s superpower rivalry with the United States.
Voters chose as their next president Lai Ching-te, the current vice president, who has vowed to continue his party’s policy of protecting the island’s sovereignty. The vote is a rebuke to Beijing’s claim over Taiwan and the growing pressure it has been exerting on the island democracy.
As in all major Taiwanese elections, how to deal with China was a central focus of campaigning. The question has become only more urgent as Beijing has stepped up its military activity near Taiwan, raising the specter of a future conflict that could have implications for the United States.
What is the controversy over Taiwan’s status? Since 1949, when the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek fled the Chinese mainland for Taiwan after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong’s Communist forces, the island’s status and future have been disputed.
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A version of this article appears in print on Jan. 15, 2024, Section A, Page 9 of the New York edition with the headline: What Lai’s Election Means For Taiwan’s Independence . Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
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