Dr. T.Y. Wang, professor and chair of Department of Politics and Government, was quoted by CNN on Taiwan’s 2024 presidential election. Despite China’s repeated warning of a “war or peace” choice for Taiwanese citizens, voters on the island elected pro-independence William Lai of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as the country’s next president. Mr. Lai, currently serving as Taiwan’s vice president, garnered 40% of the votes and gave the DPP a historic third term in a row of the presidency. Experiences have repeatedly shown that Beijing’s threats almost always invited opposite outcomes as they only hardened the island citizens’ determination to resist.
While the Biden administration has indicated that it is committed to the longstanding One China policy, it has also praised Taiwan as a model for democracy. The White House has dispatched a delegation to Taipei following the election. Wang commented that the delegation visit was “a signal, a very symbolic way of supporting Taiwan.” He was also quoted in a CNN video report titled “China-Taiwan Trade Words Over Election Result” (at 2:09).
