Even in the biggest election year in history elections presidential Taiwan They stand out as one of the most interesting ones. A significant part of the population of approximately 24 million will go to the polls this Saturday to determine the political future of the island over which it claims sovereignty. Chinese. Increasing military tensions with its neighbor ensure that this quote is seen by many. Beijingbut it is also viewed by Taiwan’s opposition as a “dilemma between peace and peace”. war“.
The current vice president faces off in the January 13 elections Lai Ching-teCandidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and mayor of New Taipei. Hou You-ihCandidate of the Kuomingtang (KMT). First, it is the poll favourite, in part because the opposition has failed to present a common candidate. The third part of the discussion is Ko Wen-jeformer mayor Taipeicapital of the island.
As usual, the long shadow of the Asian giant monopolized every aspect of the election campaign. This truth can only be understood by searching the pages of history. civil war The events that shed China’s blood in the first half of the 20th century ended with China’s victory in 1949. Mao Zedong And Communist Party. Its military victory on the continent forced the toppled Chinese nationalist government to retreat to Taiwan, where it controlled under a dictatorship that lasted until the late 1980s. This explains why even today the island’s official name remains Republic of China. It held its first democratic elections in 1996.
China has two paths ahead
China has historically claimed sovereignty over the archipelago, a claim that has grown as its military power has increased. Chinese President’s New Year message Xi Jinping He assured that reunification was “inevitable”. Taiwanese parties exclude this option, which is not liked by more than 80 percent of their citizens, but they do not talk about it either. independenceBecause that would arouse China’s anger. They both want to maintain the ‘status quo’, but choose different paths on how to do this.
PDP, which has been ruling the country hand in hand with the current president since 2016 Tsai Ing-wenIt has strengthened its political, commercial and military ties with the United States, the alliance through which they aim to deter the Asian giant. However, this aggression weakened diplomatic relations between the island, which is recognized by only 13 countries. The party’s new candidate pledged to engage in dialogue to achieve peace, but warned that “without sovereignty (…) this is a false peace” and promised military reinforcements to Taiwan. It has also opened the door to greater economic rapprochement with the European Union.
The KMT, on the other hand, is determined to take a more conciliatory stance with Beijing in order to avoid hypothetical aggression. If it gains power, it could facilitate trade, tourism and cultural exchange with its neighbour. Ironically, this nationalist and fervently anti-communist party ruled mainland China until Mao’s victory.
Can they influence Spain?
Like most countries, Spain does not officially recognize Taiwan. The outcome of the election will not change this situation if it benefits the relationship. Madrid with Beijing. However, it is stated that a possible conflict in the strait could affect the strait. Business relationships continues to exist on the island. Taiwan is the 40th supplier for Spain imports and its 50th foreign market. For Taiwan, Spain is the 35th supplier and 20th destination. export. These economic ties favor the archipelago. According to data from the Spanish Economic and Trade Office in Taipei, Spain’s exports reached 697.6 million euros in 2021, while the import volume was 1,665.8 million.
Although Taiwan and China maintain strong trade ties, war in China Ukraine has shown that this does not guarantee that military aggression will not occur. That scary scenario damage Spain to the rest of the world due to its strategic location thanks to the island’s dominance in manufacturing. semiconductorsis essential for the global electronics market. If that sector had been damaged, “we would have been faced with a situation” Economic crisis It’s similar to the disruptions we saw during the Great Depression,” warned Chris Miller, author of ‘Chip War’.