Taiwan’s President portrays herself as the only reliable choice against an assertive China.

The Interpreter
Date: 29 Apr 2019
By: Stuart Lau

With presidential elections set for January 2020, the race for Taiwan’s top job is getting under way, and incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen is feeling the heat.

Confronted by low popularity and primary challengers from within her own Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Tsai has resorted to playing the China card, portraying herself as the only reliable choice when it comes to safeguarding Taiwan’s interests against an increasingly assertive Beijing.

In order to do so, she is consolidating Taiwan’s – as well as her own – ties with the US, with a particular emphasis on the self-ruling island’s role in the Trump administration’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” strategy.

“Taiwan, the United States and other countries pursuing a similar policy really share the same core objectives in the region. That is to promote economic linkages, prosperity and enhance our sense of shared security, while staying true to our values and interests,” Tsai said during a video call with US think tanks last week.    [FULL  STORY]