Chee-Hann Wu

What Does Taiwan’s Presidential Election Outcome Tell Us About Its Economic Prospects?

19 January 2024 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Min-Hua Chiang. William Lai (Lai Ching-te) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) secured his election as Taiwan’s 16th president on January 13, 2024. As the DPP extends its rule for another four years, the administration is likely to maintain President Tsai Ing-wen’s economic policies, notably diversifying the economy away from China. Navigating Taiwan’s export-oriented economy through the evolving US-China relationship will pose the most significant challenge for the new administration.

Remembering Shih Ming-teh

18 January 2024 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Thomas J. Shattuck. On January 15, 2024, only a few days after the election, longtime democracy and human rights advocate, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and politician Shih Ming-teh passed away. Given his place in Taiwan’s history and democratic development, it is important to remember him and his legacy. Shih is a widely known figure in Taiwan for his legacy in Taiwan’s democratisation and his role in the Kaohsiung Incident and Tangwai movement. He’s also famous for his role in the anti-corruption protests against then-President Chen Shui-bian in the early 2000s. Shih consistently called for Chen’s resignation and led the “Million Voices Against Corruption-Chen Must Go” campaign. For decades, he held politicians to high standards, and understandably so.

Election win for the DPP, but a split legislature

15 January 2024 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Gerrit van der Wees. After a hard-fought campaign, the DPP candidate “William” Lai Ching-te and his running mate Hsiao Bikhim emerged victorious in Taiwan’s presidential election race with 40.1 % of the vote. They were elected Taiwan’s President and Vice-President respectively. The total turnout was 71.8% of the eligible voters, a bit lower than the 74.9% in the 2020 elections. The main opposition candidate in the three-way race, Messrs. Hou Yu-ih of the Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang Party, and his running mate, pro-China media personality Jaw Shaw-kang, received 33.5% of the vote, while Mr Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and his running mate Cynthia Wang, came in a respectable third with 26.5% of the vote.

How Czechia Engages Taiwan

18 December 2023 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Filip Šebok. While it has been over the past few years that the Czech-Taiwanese relations have grabbed headlines over the world, the two sides’ ties have not come from nowhere. In fact, the recent intensification of cooperation has been built on a very solid foundation jointly forged by the two sides since the early 1990s. Taiwan has become an important investor in the Central European countries already in the 2000s, especially through the investment of electronic manufacturer Foxconn, which has become a major exporter and tax payer in the country.

Taiwan-Netherlands relations: strong ties with historical weight

15 December 2023 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Sense Hofstede. Taiwan and the Netherlands share a long history. The island’s central position on the critical trading networks of its time sparked Dutch interests both in the 17th century and today. Dutch-Taiwanese economic ties are strong but also increasingly under intense scrutiny as the chip war heats up. Next to strong trade ties, a 1980s arms sale is the most high-profile of the Netherlands’ maritime security involvement with Taiwan. The historical, security and economic ties all touch upon sensitive issues.

The EU-China Summit and the Future of EU-Taiwan Relations: Reconstructing the Normative Agenda

13 December 2023 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Dominika Remžová. A few days prior to this year’s EU-China summit (the first to take place in person since the COVID-19 pandemic), the Financial Times has published an opinion piece by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Secretary-General of NATO, calling for the Union’s stronger support for Taiwan. The article singles out security considerations as the main reason for such a principled stance, which the author acknowledges has been taken up by only a few Central and Eastern European (CEE) leaders. This focus on security issues and small states is noteworthy, as it provides the most fruitful avenue for further strengthening of ties moving forward.

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