Ahead of Taiwan’s January election, China tries to offer up a softer touch

Japan Times
Date: Dec 1, 2019
By: R^euters, Kyodo

Zhu Fenglian, the new spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, speaks at a news conference in Beijing, China November 27, 2019. Picture taken November 27, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT.

TAIPEI – China is stepping up efforts to be nice to Taiwan ahead of key elections on Jan. 11, offering better treatment to Taiwanese in China and urging the democratic island to “come home,” but many there only see Beijing wielding a threatening stick.

China denies interfering in elections in Taiwan, which it claims as sacred territory, but it traditionally tries various means to influence their result, hoping politicians with a more positive view of Chinese ties get into office.

These can range from military intimidation — China fired missiles into the Taiwan Strait before the 1996 election — to what Taiwan’s government calls Beijing’s manipulation of China-friendly Taiwanese media.

China also wants to ensure that Taiwan’s huge business community in the country is happy, hoping businesspeople will go home to vote for China-friendly politicians.    [FULL  STORY]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Privacy Policy

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.