By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, January 15: As Taiwan prepares to vote for their new President on Saturday, Tsai Ing-wen, the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is the favorite to win the historic election and become the first woman president of the island nation.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), unlike the current pro China government of Ma Ying-jeou, has always taken a skeptical approach towards China relations. “I hope that Taiwan can be more independent from the mainland, both economically and politically. Maybe Taiwan can trade more with other countries,” Johnny Yeh, a student who is voting for the first time told CNN.
Many frustrated Taiwanese voters are also calling for change as ‘fears grow over China’s increasing influence’ on the island nation. “I’m concerned the government is eager to pursue ties with China without carefully calculating the risks,” Lee Yi-chung, a Taipei businessman told AFP. “I don’t want Taiwan to be ruled by China,” he said.
The voters are also angered by the encroachment of Beijing in their education system. Around 200 students protested outside Taiwan’s education ministry last year against the ‘China-centric’ changes to the school curriculum.
In 2014, group of student stormed and occupied Taiwan’s Legislature and Cabinet building to protest against a trade pact that symbolized Taiwan’s deepening relations with China.
“They want to say ‘no’ to China,” said Lee Shiao-feng, Taiwanese culture professor at the National Taipei University of Education while expressing the general fear of the voters that Taiwan will eventually be ‘snatched’ by Beijing. “Surveys show that more and more people here, even second or third generation mainlanders, consider themselves Taiwanese rather than Chinese.”
President Ma Ying-jeou after his victory eight years ago promised prosperity through warmer relations with Beijing.
Beijing has always maintained that they will not deal with a leader who does not recognize Taiwan as part of China. However, analysts say ‘Beijing will not want to alienate Taiwan as that would work against its reunification goal’.
Willy Lam, professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Centre for China Studies, feels that for the first year ‘Beijing will try to show conciliatory gestures’. By the second and third year, if the Tsai administration still refuses to demonstrate any ‘enthusiasm for political dialogue’ China may employ tougher tactics, Lam said.
