Webcast: Dire Strait? – What Taiwan’s Election Means for China and the World
A Conversation With Natasha Kassam
Natasha Kassam, Research Fellow of the Lowy Institute, attended this year's election in Taiwan as an election observer. Hear more about her view on President Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), what helped her to get reelected, her opponent of the Chinese nationalist opposition party Kuomintang, and relations to China.
In short
On the weekend of 11 January, voters headed to the polls for Taiwan’s 2020 elections. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP won a second term in a landslide victory over her opponent, Han Kuo-yu of the Kuomintang (KMT), and her party maintained its majority in the legislature. The level of participation and transparency was high, considering that Taiwan has only had a small number of elections so far.
There has been a dramatic shift in the poll numbers and outcome of the elections. Initially, a year ago, President Tsai Ing-wen was not going to run for a second term due to challenges within her own party. Also, mainly domestic factors led to her unpopularity. It was the emergence of Taiwan's relationship with China as the central issue in her campaign and other factors that allowed her to revive her popularity. For all the details on the election campaign, results and aftermath, listen to the webcast.
To stay informed with Taiwan, Natasha Kassam recommends:
Ketagalan Media
Taiwan Report
North American Taiwan Studies Association
William Yang –Taiwanese journalist based in Taipei, Taiwan
Natasha Kassam is a Research Fellow in the Diplomacy and Public Opinion Program, directing the annual Lowy Institute Poll. Her other research interests include Australia’s Indo-Pacific strategy, China’s domestic politics, Taiwan, and Australia-China relations. Natasha worked at Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for nine years, most recently to draft the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper. Before she was a diplomat in China from 2013 to 2017, where she reported on human rights, law reform, Xinjiang and Tibet. From 2011 to 2012 Natasha was a law and justice advisor to the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) in Honiara. She has also previously worked at the University of Sydney’s Sydney Centre for International Law and the law firm Clayton Utz. Natasha provides regular commentary to Australian and international media outlets including CNN, BBC, Bloomberg, Guardian and the ABC.