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Taiwan’s 2020 Elections Go International

Taiwan’s 2020 Elections Go International

Source:Chien-Tong Wang

As an expat, it can be tough to pick up a decent understanding of Taiwanese politics without sinking some serious time in to research. Taiwan’s upcoming Presidential Election has been explained to me as as the slow smothering of Tsai-Ing Wen’s progressive Independence Project by Han Kuo-yu’s swing back towards the Chinese sphere. What was previously billed as an adversarial, almost inevitable transition has been turned on its head by Gou’s announcement, and it seems to have succeeded in capturing international attention.

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Taiwan’s 2020 Elections Go International

By James Grant
web only

As an expat, it can be tough to pick up a decent understanding of Taiwanese politics without sinking some serious time in to research. Taiwanese people, or at least those I ask, can be reluctant to discuss their political preferences in public, and Taiwan TV broadcasts seem more focused on motorbike crashes than breaking news.

Superficial enquiry can tell you that the current President is viewed with a mixture of faded optimism or outright disappointment, that the unorthodox practices of Taipei’s Mayor have earned him a wave of diehard fans, and that the Mayor of Kaohsiung is viewed either as a dangerous populist or as Taiwan’s saviour, all depending on who you talk to.

When I talk to people back home, it becomes apparent that political news here doesn’t really travel far overseas. Taiwan is a fairly large country with over 23 million citizens, that punches below its weight internationally. The island’s politicians are greeted with caution by an International sphere reluctant to upset relations with China, and although Taiwan has dozens of internationally recognised brands, people are just as likely to mistake the country for Thailand as correctly identify it when prompted.

This state of anonymity changed somewhat last week when Terry Gou, Taiwan’s richest man, best known internationally for installing suicide-proof netting in his Foxconn factories, announced he would answer the call of the Mazu Sea Goddess, and run for President. (Read: What Happens to Hon Hai if Terry Gou Runs for President?)

Taiwan’s upcoming Presidential Election has been explained to me as as the slow smothering of Tsai-Ing Wen’s progressive Independence Project by Han Kuo-yu’s swing back towards the Chinese sphere. What was previously billed as an adversarial, almost inevitable transition has been turned on its head by Gou’s announcement, and it seems to have succeeded in capturing international attention.

Taiwan’s political scene is one where candidates work hard to cultivate an earthy, approachable facade, one where politicians are as likely to be seen in a warming gilet as formal suit, and the capital’s Mayor is regularly pictured riding public transport. In this sense Gou’s announcement marks a cultural shift in the election cycle, with a focus on modesty and sincerity seemingly at odds with being the world’s 182nd richest man, especially one can be seen rubbing shoulders with Donald Trump. Such has been the furore around his announcement, it has even catapulted Taiwan’s election cycle to the BBC front page.

Aside from boosting Taiwan’s profile, his announcement has raised a few serious issues. Money in politics is an increasing issue for many Western voters, and a lot of the Americans I know living here mentioned democratic corruption amongst reasons for leaving the US. Claims that politicians are pursuing their own ends instead of the national interest have been recurrent throughout the Brexit process, and it’s a criticism that also applied to Gou, the majority of whose Foxconn workers are Chinese workers on Chinese soil.

Have you read? More on Terry Gou:
♦ On Microsoft's Attack against Hon Hai (Foxconn)
♦ Now Comes the Hard Part for Terry Gou
♦ Terry Gou’s U.S. Gambit

Politically, Gou is rumoured to maintain close ties with China’s Chinese President Xi Jinping, and he is also linked to the American President by Foxconn’s troubled Wisconsin plant, an installation which is likely to feature heavily in much election coverage, particularly in the context of the ongoing China-USA trade war.

In my experience Taiwanese people are also more willing to forgive the eccentricities of the Trump Presidency if it means more support against China, with the opening of a new Trade Mission this year giving hope to many that the US may be becoming rather more outspoken in support for the island. Whether Gou’s personal relations with Trump and Jinping will factor in to this remains to be seen.

Socially, Taiwan is regularly lauded for progressive, forward-facing social policy, and aside from last year’s controversial rejection of same-sex marriage, the island is often held up as a beacon of progressive beliefs and modern attitudes.

Gou’s claim that his announcement was ordained by a ‘Mazu Sea Goddess’ is an important reminder was picked up with glee by a lot of international news sources, and it’s an important reminder that beneath Taiwan’s exterior there is a long and deeply-rooted faith in ghosts, ghouls and omens. Discussing Gou’s announcement, some friends of mine (admittedly jokingly) suggested that the following day’s 6.1 magnitude earthquake was the Goddess expressing displeasure at Gou taking her name in vain.

Gou’s candidacy looks has already has a big impact on the 2020 election cycle. It has caught the eye of the global press, and generated a lot of discussion around business interests and geopolitical relations. It’s hard to say for certain what the outcome will be, but it seems already to have elevated the election to something of an international spectacle.

Edited by Sharon Tseng


About the Author
James Grant is a contributing writer at Commonwealth Magazine. He writes mainly on topics of politics, economics and Universal Basic Income.

(This article presents the opinion or perspective of the original author / organization, which does not represent the standpoint of CommonWealth Magazine.)

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