In this round-table seminar, we discuss Taiwan's presidential and parliamentary elections, held simultaneously on 13 January 2024. The presidential candidate from the ruling DPP, William Lai, narrowly saw off two challengers, Hou Yu-ih of the KMT and Ko Wen-je of the TPP. At the same time, the DPP lost control of Taiwan's parliament, with the balance of power being held by the TPP. We consider what the elections show about the quality of Taiwan's democracy, who won and who lost, the roles that China played as an election issue and as a player, and the international reverberations of the election. There will be no formal presentations at the seminar, and contributions from the floor are welcome. 

 

Dr Neil Munro is Senior Lecturer in Chinese Politics at the University of Glasgow. He has a comparative interest in participation in governance in post-communist and developing societies. He has published on a wide range of themes ranging from acceptance of bureaucratic norms through national identity, participation, regime legitimacy and social cohesion. Dr Duanyi Yi has recently completed her PhD at Glasgow with a thesis on China’s nuclear strategy. Both are collaborating on a project to explore China's strategic culture in relation to the situation around Taiwan.  

  

The Scottish Centre for China Research is grateful for the support of the MacFie Bequest for its seminar series.

For further information, contact Professor Jane Duckett <jane.duckett@glasgow.ac.uk>

First published: 2 February 2024

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