Introduction
On January 16, 2016, Taiwan elected its first female president, Tsai Ing-wen. After winning a landslide victory against the incumbent party, Kuomintang and their candidate Eric Chu, Tsai Ing-Wen became only the second candidate from the DPP to win the presidency in Taiwan. The DPP also had a successful victory in the legislative elections, the Yuan, where the KMT lost its majority for the first time in Taiwanese history. The large victory of the DPP and its candidate Tsai Ing-Wen is extremely significant. When analyzing Taiwan’s recent election, Tsai Ing-wen’s highly effective campaign is an immediate stand out. Tsai Ing-wen advocated for economic stability and improving societal inequalities throughout her campaign, which resonated …show more content…
What is currently used as a reference during any talks between Taiwan and China, is the “1992 Consensus”. The 1992 Consensus was an agreement reached following a meeting between representatives of Taiwan and China. The agreement reached was that Taiwan was a part of One China. However, both sides have different interpretations of what “One China” means. Taiwan’s version of this consensus is the generally accepted notion of “One China, but different interpretations”. Whereas Beijing’s position remains that the “1992 consensus” ultimately means that Taiwan is a part of one China, and the agreement of this consensus is the basis of any future talks between Taiwan and China. This is a consensus that, throughout Taiwan’s political history, has faced the strong opposition of the Democratic-Progressive Party. The DPP has historically advocated for an independent and separate Taiwan, reinforcing this idea that there is one China and one separate Taiwan. Additionally, the DPP has long reasoned that the parties’ rejection of this consensus stems from the idea that the KMT was the party that negotiated the meeting, and to “accept it would be plagiarizing the …show more content…
This is something that struck a chord with many people, especially those that were disenfranchised by the stagnation of the economy under Ma and ultimately undecided coming into the 2016 election. There is date that supports the position many Taiwanese voters’ took when judging the economic policies of both the KMT and the DPP. For example, when looking into the current state of Taiwan’s economy the level of underperformance becomes clear. Taiwan’s exports by November 2015 had decreased by 13.21% when compared to last years, exports to China dropped by 17.1%. Wages for the average working family had not increased in decades, and the cost of living, particularly in large cities, has continued to rise. These very real problems were a key concern for the majority of Taiwan’s voters, and Tsai Ing-wen’s policies on trade diversification, job creation, and growing innovation were key to her ultimate victory. Taiwanese voters support for the DPP and Tsai Ing-wen show their discontent with the current state of their economy, and their hopes for a leader with a clear focus on improving the stagnant
On January 16, 2016, Taiwan elected its first female president, Tsai Ing-wen. After winning a landslide victory against the incumbent party, Kuomintang and their candidate Eric Chu, Tsai Ing-Wen became only the second candidate from the DPP to win the presidency in Taiwan. The DPP also had a successful victory in the legislative elections, the Yuan, where the KMT lost its majority for the first time in Taiwanese history. The large victory of the DPP and its candidate Tsai Ing-Wen is extremely significant. When analyzing Taiwan’s recent election, Tsai Ing-wen’s highly effective campaign is an immediate stand out. Tsai Ing-wen advocated for economic stability and improving societal inequalities throughout her campaign, which resonated …show more content…
What is currently used as a reference during any talks between Taiwan and China, is the “1992 Consensus”. The 1992 Consensus was an agreement reached following a meeting between representatives of Taiwan and China. The agreement reached was that Taiwan was a part of One China. However, both sides have different interpretations of what “One China” means. Taiwan’s version of this consensus is the generally accepted notion of “One China, but different interpretations”. Whereas Beijing’s position remains that the “1992 consensus” ultimately means that Taiwan is a part of one China, and the agreement of this consensus is the basis of any future talks between Taiwan and China. This is a consensus that, throughout Taiwan’s political history, has faced the strong opposition of the Democratic-Progressive Party. The DPP has historically advocated for an independent and separate Taiwan, reinforcing this idea that there is one China and one separate Taiwan. Additionally, the DPP has long reasoned that the parties’ rejection of this consensus stems from the idea that the KMT was the party that negotiated the meeting, and to “accept it would be plagiarizing the …show more content…
This is something that struck a chord with many people, especially those that were disenfranchised by the stagnation of the economy under Ma and ultimately undecided coming into the 2016 election. There is date that supports the position many Taiwanese voters’ took when judging the economic policies of both the KMT and the DPP. For example, when looking into the current state of Taiwan’s economy the level of underperformance becomes clear. Taiwan’s exports by November 2015 had decreased by 13.21% when compared to last years, exports to China dropped by 17.1%. Wages for the average working family had not increased in decades, and the cost of living, particularly in large cities, has continued to rise. These very real problems were a key concern for the majority of Taiwan’s voters, and Tsai Ing-wen’s policies on trade diversification, job creation, and growing innovation were key to her ultimate victory. Taiwanese voters support for the DPP and Tsai Ing-wen show their discontent with the current state of their economy, and their hopes for a leader with a clear focus on improving the stagnant