Taiwan’s vote of defiance

January 17, 2024

JAKARTA – The value of freedom is so precious to the Taiwanese people that they bravely defied persistent warnings and intimidations, including a military show of force from mainland China, and elected Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as their new president.

Prior to the Jan. 13 election, Beijing had repeatedly warned of dire consequences Taiwan would face for electing a figure who would campaign for a breakaway republic.

The voters were aware of the imminent unification of Taiwan and mainland China, but as the outcome of the election demonstrated, they preferred to have their aspirations for freedom spread across the strait and beyond.

By international norms, the “One China” policy dictates Cross-Strait affairs. China regards Taiwan as a renegade province, and the world recognizes Beijing’s right to reunify Taiwan. However, Taiwanese people see themselves as different from Chinese people from the mainland.

“The election has shown the world the commitment of the Taiwanese people to democracy, which I hope China can understand,” the jubilant Lai said in his victory speech on Saturday.

Lai’s victory is not surprising because of his high popularity rating several months before the election. “Taiwan is China’s Taiwan,” Chen Binhua, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council spokesperson, said on Saturday.

“This election cannot change the basic pattern and the development of Cross-Strait relations, nor can it change the common desire of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to draw closer,” Chen added, according to a CNBC translation of a report from Xinhua.

President Xi had used both military muscle and soft power to attempt to win the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese