Taking Stock of Taipei: The 2020 Election on Taiwan

Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-Wen has secured a second term after a landslide result of 57.1 percent, beating Beijing-friendly Kuomintang populist Han Kuo Yu. Ms. Tsai of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has drawn the ire of Beijing for refusing to acknowledge their “One China” policy and for promising to preserve the island’s sovereignty. The elections were dominated by the island’s relationship with China and riddled with interference in the form of disinformation campaigns and the threat of unification. While the election outcome is a big win for Tsai and the DPP, Beijing is expected to intensify the pressure, having promised to take Taiwan by force if necessary.  

In this event, Dr. Arthur S Ding, Professor Emeritus at National Chengchi University and Dr. Björn Jerden, head of the Swedish Institute of International Affairs’ Asia program will analyze the election results and discuss future expectations for Taiwan and Ms. Tsai’s second term.