Why did the election results in Taiwan raise tensions between China and the US? – Asia – International

The world’s eyes were on Taiwan’s presidential election this weekendAn island China It has its own claim, but in recent decades it has distanced itself from its sphere of influence under its patronage. USA.

(Read here: Taiwan: William Lai, ‘independent activist’, wins presidential election)

Lai Ching-te, He, who has served as Taiwan’s vice president for four years, was elected as the next president this January 14, an election result that predicts further escalation of tensions between the two superpowers.

The president-elect has publicly declared his intention to maintain the ‘status quo’ in Taipei, staked sovereignty and increasingly strengthen his ties with Washington, angering senior Chinese officials.

Some analysts have warned that this could exacerbate already existing tensions between the two China and the United States And even drag them into open conflict.

Why is there a dispute over Taiwan and what does the United States have to do with it?

After the 1949 Civil War in China, when Mao Zedong’s troops defeated the Nationalists, Chiang Kai-shek’s troops took refuge in Taiwan, and the island’s status has been a matter of dispute ever since. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory, while Taipei, in practice, maintains a form of political independence.

In 1971, the Taiwanese lost their UN membership and Beijing has since assumed the seat. Then, in 1979, the United States recognized the Beijing government as the representative of China, and almost the entire international community adopted the “One China” policy, which excluded diplomatic relations with the island.

However, Washington often maintains an ambiguous rhetoric on Taiwan. Although the Americans say they do not support Taiwan independence, in recent years they have increased their military arms sales and have assured that they will not hesitate to defend the island if China invades it.

What does China say about America’s position?

China rejects any form of diplomatic relations between third countries and Taiwan. The government sees this as an attempt to undermine China’s sovereignty over the island. He has also repeatedly warned the United States to avoid closer ties with Taipei.

in fact, China has said it will one day reclaim the island.

Before the election, China vowed to “crush” any attempt to promote “Taiwan independence”.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defense said “the Chinese People’s Liberation Army is on high alert at all times and will take all necessary measures to firmly crush all forms of ‘Taiwan independence’ attempts.”

Incidentally, in recent months, the Chinese military has increased the number of military exercises in the Taiwan Strait, raising tensions in this key area for global trade.

Could Beijing and Washington face off if China invades Taiwan?

A few months ago, a four-star general in the United States Air Force sent out a memo warning An open confrontation with China would be possible in 2025, which is why he urged the country to be prepared for this eventuality.

And although the parties have said they want to avoid this at all costs, tensions remain. Washington sent an unofficial delegation to meet with Taiwan’s president-elect, once again angering China.

In August 2022, for example, a visit to Taiwan by Nancy PelosiThen Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, This sparked outrage in China, which launched large-scale military maneuvers in response.

Alexander Huang, a military expert at Tamkang University in Taipei, Do not believe there will be an immediate Chinese military response but what “Beijing will increase pressure on Taiwan in other ways.”

Taiwan already observes the presence of Chinese aircraft and warships in the strait almost daily, raising fears of an incident, even more so because there is no high-level communication between Beijing and Taipei.

Why is Taiwan important to the world economy and why does Washington and Beijing want to influence the island?

Taiwan is the world’s largest producer of semiconductors, an essential component for manufacturing high-tech products.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), a global leader in semiconductors, supplies about 50% of the world’s production of microchips smaller than 10 nanometers.

That is why the new president will have to find a balance between geopolitical tensions and an export-friendly environment. Lai promised “strong support to the semiconductor industry” on Saturday.

According to Wen-Ti Sung, China may increase its economic pressure as it did in 2022, after Pelosi’s visit, then banned some fruit and fish imports from Taiwan.

Who is the new president of Taiwan?

Son of a coal miner and a doctor by trainingLai (Wanli, 1959) began participating in politics in the mid-1990s, when Taiwanese democracy was beginning to take its course: in 1994 he led an association of health professionals in support of the aspiring Taiwanese governor Chen Ting-nan. Province by PDP.

His real rise to fame came in 2010, the year he was elected mayor of Tainan, a position he held until 2017, setting a record in history: in 2014, he was re-elected with nearly 73% of the vote, the most in 1987. Percentage of local elections after the lifting of martial law.

After defining himself in 2017 as a “pragmatic activist for Taiwan independence”, Lai has been moderating his speech around the island’s autonomy, which is in line with the majority opinion of Taiwanese society, which favors maintaining the status quo.

As the PDP’s candidate for president, Lai rejected the possibility of formally declaring independence because, he asserted, Taiwan was already a “sovereign and independent country” under the name of the Republic of China.

Contrary to the “one China principle”, Lai proposed continuing the policies undertaken by Tsai Ing-wen around four principles: strengthening the military deterrence, guaranteeing the island’s economic security, deepening ties with the world’s leading democracies, and maintaining a pragmatic policy toward China.

International Editorial
*With AFP and Efe