The upcoming January 13 presidential and parliamentary elections are pivotal for defining Taiwan’s relationship with Beijing…reports Asian Lite News
Taiwan’s ruling party asserts its commitment to preventing war with China while placing blame for heightened tensions squarely on China’s shoulders, according to Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan’s former dtop diplomat to the United States and current vice presidential frontrunner.
The upcoming January 13 presidential and parliamentary elections are pivotal for defining Taiwan’s relationship with Beijing, occurring amidst increased Chinese military activities aimed at asserting sovereignty claims over the island.
China has labelled Vice President Lai Ching-te, the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate, as a dangerous separatist, framing the election as a choice between war and peace—a sentiment echoed by Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT).
During a pre-election policy address, Hsiao emphasized that global awareness attributes rising tensions to China’s authoritarian expansion, disrupting the international order and status quo. Despite accusations, she clarified that Taiwan, under Lai Ching-te and herself, advocates for maintaining the peaceful status quo in the Taiwan Strait, reinforcing defenses to avert war.
In contrast, the KMT’s vice presidential candidate, Jaw Shaw-kong, emphasized his party’s non-allegiance to China, asserting that the DPP exploits the China threat to secure electoral support.
Jaw criticized the DPP’s lack of understanding of mainland China and the Communist Party, advocating for renewed dialogue between Taiwan and China. President Tsai Ing-wen and her administration have consistently offered talks, but China has dismissed these proposals, denouncing Lai and Hsiao as dangerous separatists.
Cynthia Wu, the vice presidential candidate for the Taiwan People’s Party, focused on domestic issues during her address, such as the establishment of a sovereign wealth fund, with minimal mention of China. As the elections approach, the dynamics between Taiwan and China remain a critical factor in shaping the island’s future.
Chinese President Xi Jinping had earlier warned his US counterpart Joe Biden that Beijing will reunify Taiwan with mainland China but that the timing has not yet been decided, NBC News reported. Xi warned Biden during their recent summit in San Francisco, according to three current and former US officials.
In a group meeting attended by a dozen American and Chinese officials, Xi told Biden that China’s preference is to take Taiwan peacefully, not by force, the officials said.
The Chinese president also referenced public predictions by US military leaders who say that Xi plans to take Taiwan in 2025 or 2027, telling Biden that they were wrong because he has not set a time frame, according to two current and one former official briefed on the meeting.
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