The race for Taiwan’s presidency has entered the final straight and the outcome will affect not only relations between Taipei and Beijing but also between China and the United States
In the first of a series on the key issues and candidates, Lawrence Chung looks at the crucial role young and first-time voters are expected to play

South China Morning Post
Date: 30 Dec, 2019
By: Lawrence Chung

Chemistry student Chen Pin-yu will be voting for the first time when Taiwan heads to the polls  next month, and she has already made her choice.

“I’ll be giving my vote to Tsai Ing-wen because she is more capable of defending Taiwan than Han Kuo-yu or James Soong [Chu-yu],” the 21-year-old who studies at Tamkang University in Taipei said.

Chen was concerned about the self-ruled island’s fate if President Tsai was not re-elected.

“Given their pro-China stand, I believe Han and Soong would turn a blind eye to Beijing eroding our sovereignty if either of them were elected president,” she said.

Young voters like Chen will be crucial for the three presidential candidates on January 11, analysts say, in an election seen as a choice between protecting the island’s sovereignty and keeping cross-strait relations stable. They say that with 1.2 million people eligible to vote for the first time, winning the hearts and minds of those aged between 20 and 23 will be key in a race that is being closely watched by both Beijing and Washington.    [FULL  STORY]