The University of Texas at Dallas
March 24, 2016

UT Dallas’ School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences will host a symposium this Friday on the recent historic Taiwan elections that led to a victory for the state’s pro-independence party. The public is invited to attend.

The Taiwan Democracy Symposium will include panel discussions with leading scholars from Taiwan and the United States, who will explore the election’s outcome, participation of young voters, impact on Taiwan’s relations with China, and future relations between Taiwan, China and the U.S.

The Greater Dallas Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce and the Taiwan and Asia Program at The University of Texas at Austin are sponsoring the event to help educate students and the public.

“The January elections resulted in a huge turnover, with the opposition party capturing the legislature and the presidency,” said Dr. Karl Ho, UT Dallas clinical associate professor of political science, public policy and political economy. “This means there is potential for major change in public policy in Taiwan.”
Taiwanese voters in January elected their first female president, Tsai Ing-wen, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The DPP also secured a solid majority in the democratic nation’s legislature. The DPP’s win raises questions about future relations between Taiwan and China.

“We’re trying to help the American people understand the situation in Taiwan and to do our best to help Taiwan,” said TingWhai Lee, the chamber of commerce’s president-elect.     [FULL  STORY]