China’s influence looms darkly over Taiwan’s polls

Taiwan's general election is Saturday so the CCP Dictator Tyrants in Beijing have been campaigning for months too as the link below indicates and as reported by the Asia Times. A better accounting than 'campaigning' is however that Beijing is full speed ahead to try to subvert the election for its favored lapdog candidate challenging the incumbent.


China’s influence looms darkly over Taiwan’s polls

Beijing is pulling all the stops to affect the outcome of Taiwan’s January 11 elections


Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has visited the USA four times on a visa approved by the U.S. State Department despite strenuous objections by Beijing. Tsai is favored to be reelected Saturday by a comfortable margin, saying the choice is between "democracy or dictatorship."


As Taiwan prepares for pivotal presidential and legislative elections on January 11, China is seeking to influence the democratic outcome through a mix of military intimidation, economic sweeteners and what some view as outright cyber-warfare. Tsai Ing-wen, the incumbent president seeking re-election under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said on November 19 that China is interfering in Taiwan’s elections “every day.”

Beijing has launched a full cyber assault aimed at influencing the election result through the dissemination of fake news, bots programmed to interfere with Internet traffic, and fake social media accounts to smear disfavored DPP candidates and otherwise deceive voters, according to a report by V-Dem, a program at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden that monitors elections worldwide.

Asia Times | China’s influence looms darkly over Taiwan’s polls | Article



Final polling results, most votes wins:

Cable News Station TVBS:
Tsai: 45%
Han Kuo-yu of the pro Beijing KMT: 29%
James Soong of People First Party: 7%
Undecided: 19%

Apple Daily:
Tsai: 48.6%
Han: 33.2%
Soong: 6.3%
Undecided: 19%

Tsai Ing-wen far ahead in final opinion polls before Taiwan vote - Focus Taiwan


In 2019 the Taiwan economy grew by 2.9% as Tsai has been weaning Taiwan off the China economy by becoming based more on the Silicon Valley model and oriented toward USA, Southeast Asia, Australia, Singapore, India.

Tsai who has offered asylum to refugees from political persecution in Hong Kong says the one country two systems mantra has failed in Hong Kong due to Beijing's insincerity. Tsai last year told the Boyz in Beijing she rejects the fraud of it for Taiwan as Xi Jinpingpong has been trying to talk it up for Taiwan. Immigration to Taiwan from Hong Kong was up by 23% percent in 2019.

There's no question Washington favors Tsai to include the WH and in Congress. Congress and the White House approved last year a $15 billion arms sales to Taiwan of mostly Abrams tanks while the Dictator Tyrants in Beijing went berzerk over it.

Taiwan Election 2020 Countdown: 2 Days To Go





Pres. Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party; James Soong of the People First Party; Mayor Han Kuo-yu of the KMT (Guomintang Party) are contesting in the election voting on Saturday.


Tsai was given the nod by a 47.9 percent [to] 21.1 percent margin when respondents were asked who they felt would be more able to protect the Republic of China [Taiwan].

By age, Tsai's biggest strength is with younger voters, leading Han by a 63 percent-24 percent margin among 20-29 year olds and a 56 percent-21 percent margin among 30-39 year olds in the TVBS poll.





President Tsai Ing-wen (second from right) waves to supporters in Changhua with Democratic Progressive Party legislative candidate Huang Hsiu-fang (left). Polls show Tsai has a comfortable lead among all age demographics of the voting population.





KMT presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu answers questions from reporters before taping an interview for Ctitv News.






People First Party presidential candidate James Soong campaigns in Taichung. Soong finished a distant 3rd in the 2016 presidential election.






Supporters waving signs of a cartoon Tsai Ing-wen and cartoon Lai Ching-te, the DPP's vice presidential candidate, in Hsinchu. Tsai chose the former prime minister Lai for vice president who openly advocates a formal declaration of independence. The PLA Global Times last year called for an international arrest warrant against Lai for advocating secession.

Countdown - 3 days to go - Focus Taiwan

The Trump administration and Congress too have been supportive and welcoming of Taiwan Pres. Tsai Ing-wen and it shows in her reelection campaign that ends Saturday with a general election in which the law professor by profession is expected to be successful in seeking a second 4 year term.

The U.S. approval of a combined $15 billion in arms sales last year solidified Tsai's image as an effective protector of Taiwan against the Dictator Tyrants in Beijing. The arms package includes a couple of new divisions of Abrams tanks to add to Taiwan's existing tank force to severely complicate Xi Jinping's plans to take and occupy Taiwan by force before he goes to his miserable grave.


As Taiwan’s economy shines, China suffers exodus

8 January 2020 AFP


A subway train glides along an elevated track in a commercial precinct in Taipei. Photo: Asia Times


Statistics from Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs show Taiwan’s economy grew 2.4% year-on-year, surpassing South Korea’s 2.1% and Japan’s 1.2%.

With the economy’s good showing, there has also been an emerging trend of capital and talent repatriation from China. Taiwanese firms like Foxconn, TSMC and Formosa Plastics Group are shutting their plants in China and shifting operations to Taiwan, Southeast Asian or South Asian nations, piling pressure on China, especially on its tech and chemical sectors.

Taiwan also saw a robust 17.7% increase in exports to the US, the island’s second-largest trading partner, over the past nine months, spurred by a 60.5% surge in exports of information technology, network communications gear and audio-visual products to the US.

China’s internet censorship, more restrictive political environment, the impact from the trade war and a sagging economy were cited as key factors. The self-ruled island booked a capital inflow of more than US$8 billion from its own firms operating overseas in the first three quarters, according to the Executive Yuan.

Asia Times | As Taiwan’s economy shines, China suffers exodus | Article


More at the link.

Every time Chinese living off the culturally barren and politically fascist mainland vote the CCP Dictator Tyrants in Beijing get hammered.

Pro independence President Tsai Ing-Wen exceeded her 2016 election winning vote of 56.6% percent, winning this time with an even 57%. Tsai won with 1.3 million more popular votes this time than in 2016, in an unprecedented landslide blowout of the pro Beijing KMT party.


Taiwan's Tsai wins landslide in stinging result for China

January 12, 2020

Taipei (AFP) - Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen won a landslide election victory on Saturday as voters delivered a stunning rebuke of Beijing's campaign to isolate the self-ruled island and handed its first female leader a second term.

Tsai, 63, was greeted by thousands of jubilant flag-waving supporters outside her party headquarters, hailing a result which looks set to infuriate China.

"Today we have defended our democracy and freedom, tomorrow let us stand united to overcome all challenges and difficulties," she told the cheering crowd.

Official results showed Tsai secured 57 percent of the popular vote with a record-breaking 8.2 million ballots, 1.3 million more than her 2016 victory.

Her main rival Han Kuo-yu, from the China-friendly Kuomintang, racked up 39 percent and conceded defeat.

The result is a blow for Beijing, which views Taiwan as its own territory and has made no secret of wanting to see Tsai turfed out.

Taiwan'''s Tsai wins landslide in stinging result for China

Taiwan voters want nothing to do with the Beijing sham of one country two systems that is on its fraudulent display by Beijing's intrusions against Hong Kong freedoms and aspiring democracy of universal suffrage that Beijing opposes absolutely and violently.


Taiwan’s leader reelected as voters back tough China stance

Associated Press



Taiwan Prime Minister Su Tseng-chang talks about Hong Kong during a rally of the Democratic Progressive Party for its candidate, President Tsai Ing-wen, in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday Jan. 10, the day before the election on Jan. 11. In the background is an image of violent civil disorder involving Hong Kong democracy activists and police authorities of the Beijing directed government of Hong Kong.


Months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese territory, have driven home to many in Taiwan the contrast between their democratically governed island and authoritarian, communist-ruled mainland China.

While Han and the Nationalist Party have said Taiwan should be more open to negotiations with China, Tsai and the Democratic Progressive Party insisted that the Hong Kong protests showed the “one country, two systems” approach Beijing has championed for governing both that former British colony and Taiwan is unworkable.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sought to compel Tsai's government to endorse Beijing's insistence that Taiwan is a part of China. Tsai has refused to do so, maintaining that Beijing has no claim over Taiwan while calling for a reopening talks between the sides without preconditions.

“Today I want to once again remind the Beijing authorities that peace, parity, democracy and dialogue are the keys to stability," Tsai said. “I want the Beijing authorities to know that democratic Taiwan and our democratically elected government will never concede to threats."



Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party candidate for president, Pres. Tsai Ing-wen talks with voters in line together while she waits to vote outside her precinct polling station in New Taipei City Saturday.






Supporters of Taiwan's presidential election candidate, President Tsai Ing-wen cheer for Tsai's victory in Taipei, Taiwan, Jan. 11, 2020. The future of Taiwan's democracy was on the line Saturday as the self-governed island voted on whether to give independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen a second term.


Taiwan’s leader reelected as voters back tough China stance | World News | nwitimes.com

The landslide historic victory of Pres. Tsai Ing-wen and the DPP means many things as are pointed out in the article in the Hong Kong Free Press. Perhaps most salient however is that the always vacuous mantra of the CCP Boyz in Beijing of 'one country two systems' is kaput.


Hong Kong pro-democracy demonstrators rally in Taipei, Taiwan, on election day on January 11. Photo: Viola Kam/United Social Press.


In Hong Kong in 2019 Beijing fumbled and stumbled into exposing its always fraudulent one county two systems scheme. In January last year Xi Jinpingpong said in a speech that Taiwan can count on the one country two systems charade just months before the vile and doomed extradition bill was thrown up by the HKG government amidst disappearances of HKG booksellers and prominent democracy leaders.

Pres. Tsai of Taiwan included prominently at her campaign rallies a banner that stated, "Hong Kong Today, Taiwan Tomorrow." Tsai proceeded to disabuse CCP Boyz of their overbearing and malevolent compulsiveness to control everyone, everything everywhere at all times, by retorting, "I want to remind the Beijing authorities that peace, parity, democracy and dialogue are the keys to stability," Tsai said many times over throughout Taiwan. "I want the Beijing authorities to know that democratic Taiwan and our democratically elected government will never concede to threats".


Taiwan election: what does Tsai Ing-wen’s victory mean?

12 January 2020

蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen
✔
@iingwen
Thank you, Taiwan.


Just reelected Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, center, leads bow to voters with vice president and prime minister Saturday.

99.3K
22:41 - 11 Jan 2020


Taiwan’s incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen won a landslide victory in Saturday’s election, a result that dealt a blow to her Beijing-friendly rival Han Kuo-yu and marked a doubling-down on the island’s commitment to democratic values.

Tsai, of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), swept up more than 57 per cent of the vote. It marked the highest percentage received by any presidential candidate in Taiwan’s history of democratic elections, comfortably landing her a second four-year term in office.

Han, of the Kuomintang (KMT) party, took home just over 38 per cent of the vote.

In the jointly-held legislative elections, the DPP retained a crucial majority with 61 seats, while the KMT gained three seats to secure 38 in total.

Taiwan election: what does Tsai Ing-wen's victory mean? | Hong Kong Free Press HKFP


The 2016 national election was the first time the DPP gained majority control of the unicameral Legislative Yuan. DPP retained that control in Saturday's vote.

After the Taiwanese saw the heavy hand of Beijing in Hong Kong, they were convinced that it would be foolish to trust the Beijing dictators.

Congratulations to the Taiwanese president on her reelection victory.

I hope that the United States will continue to protect the Republic of China (Taiwan) after the Democrats take the White House again. (Mainland China styles itself as the "People's Republic of China." The people have no say in anything.)

TheParser said:

After the Taiwanese saw the heavy hand of Beijing in Hong Kong, they were convinced that it would be foolish to trust the Beijing dictators.

Congratulations to the Taiwanese president on her reelection victory.

I hope that the United States will continue to protect the Republic of China (Taiwan) after the Democrats take the White House again. (Mainland China styles itself as the "People's Republic of China." The people have no say in anything.)

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The Democratic party doesn't have any China specialists and professionals who see anything to be gained by working with China any more. Virtually everyone who has China creds and focus and who worked in the Obama administration threw their hands in the air and walked away from China during Obama's second term.

By the end of 2013 Xi Jinping had taken complete control of the Party and the Party-Government which is when Xi became blunt. China had no intention or design to work its way into the existing world order of democracy, peace and prosperity for more than 70 years. Xi had his one belt one road New Silk Road scheme (that won't ever get going because Asian elites refuse to have their lands become de facto provinces of China).

Xi worked against everything human rights in Washington and at the UN. Xi reneged on his face to face promises to OB not to militarize islands in the South China Sea. Xi tried to tell Australia they were backing the wrong horse and told Canberra it would be a shame if an Australian military plane happened to drop out of the sky over the SCS.

Xi suddenly put up an Air Defense Identification Zone over the East Sea that included islands disputed between Tokyo and Beijing. That's when OB reached for his sword to say the islands are included in the formal mutual defense treaty with Japan so don't even think about it. To make his point OB sent right away two unarmed B-52s through Xi's precious ADIZ to make Xi eat his own shat sandwich.

Xi's people stopped talking with US officials away from the conference tables in all venues, disappearing during breaks and lunches while being completely unavailable for hallway chats and informal talk. It was as if Xi's people feared they'd catch something communing with US officials of State, DoD, WH and so on. Pentagon started calling off military to military confabs due to PLA et al aloof intransigence. JCS suddenly and virtually overnight unloaded into SK the high-tech THAAD anti-ballistic missile system whose sophisticated radars can read the temperature of Xi's morning tea.

There's virtually nobody left in the Democratic party or its intellectual and policy resource base who accepts any more the BS line from Beijing of China's peaceful and loving rise. Moreover Trump has -- intentionally or not -- unleashed the eternally China hawk Congress in both houses who have been sat on by each Potus since Nixon-Kissinger. The trade war of Trump and his own WH China hawk Peter Navarro signal the end of the USA as Mr. Nice Guy with the CCP Dictator Tyrants in Beijing. Indeed, there's nobody left in either party to deliver the goods to the CCP Boyz any more. China's good times reign over the US are over. No more of it and Xi recognizes the fact.