Would you say that the issue of reunification vs independence isn’t as important of an issue to voters as western media makes it out to be? I remember it being portrayed as the single issue in the run up to the election.
I lived in Taiwan 5 years ago, so I’m less comfortable talking about specific recent events.
That said, I think it would be fair to say that relations with the mainland are still the overriding question in Taiwanese politics. There’s just nothing else as pressing or relevant, it colors most other issues.
The thing is that neither formal declared independence nor becoming a province of China are electorally viable platforms. Voters and opinion polls consistently show that they want the status quo: defacto independence, access to Chinese economic opportunities, and no invasions please.
Declared independence and reunification are both less popular than staying in the increasingly narrow space of having your cake and eating it too that is available without provoking an armed response.
Would you say that the issue of reunification vs independence isn’t as important of an issue to voters as western media makes it out to be? I remember it being portrayed as the single issue in the run up to the election.
I lived in Taiwan 5 years ago, so I’m less comfortable talking about specific recent events.
That said, I think it would be fair to say that relations with the mainland are still the overriding question in Taiwanese politics. There’s just nothing else as pressing or relevant, it colors most other issues.
The thing is that neither formal declared independence nor becoming a province of China are electorally viable platforms. Voters and opinion polls consistently show that they want the status quo: defacto independence, access to Chinese economic opportunities, and no invasions please.
Declared independence and reunification are both less popular than staying in the increasingly narrow space of having your cake and eating it too that is available without provoking an armed response.
Thanks for the explanation and the other background from the first post.