Taiwan set for first female president as it edges out of China’s shadow

Taiwan is expected to elect its first female president as it went to the polls on Saturday in a historic vote likely to end eight years of closer China ties. The boisterous democracy is poised to push back against Beijing by bringing scholar-turned-politician Tsai Ing-wen to power, unseating the China-friendly ruling party. Tsai is the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party which has a much warier approach to China than the unpopular ruling Kuomintang. Tsai is well ahead of KMT candidate Eric Chu in the polls.

I feel very proud to have this right to participate in decision-making on our future. It’s a chance to tell the world what we really think

Finance worker Sean Chen, 31

More than 18 million are eligible to vote Saturday, many of them criticising the KMT for failing to deliver on the economy and moving too close to China. However, it was the plight of a teenage Taiwanese K-pop star which dominated news coverage on Saturday, with presidential candidates drawn into the row. Chou Tzu-yu, 16, of South Korea-based girl-band TWICE, was forced to apologise after sparking online criticism in China for waving Taiwan’s official flag in a recent online broadcast. Her remorseful video went viral within hours, with candidates leaping to her defence and demanding answers from China and South Korea over her treatment.

Taiwan needs change, economically and politically. The government leaned too easily on China.

Voter Lee, 65

taiwan election Politics