The way Taiwan talks about itself, the way China describes Taiwan is really at the heart of this whole question. And everyone watches their words very carefully. So what really comes down to here is Taiwan in the eyes of Beijing is viewed as a breakaway province. The ultimate tension here is can Taiwan preserve this democratic DNA and keep Beijing away?
Taiwan’s current Vice President, Lai Ching-te, leads the polls in the upcoming January presidential election. The winner will have a lot to contend with–and at the top of the list is how to keep the peace with China amid rising tensions. Bloomberg Businessweek editor Joel Weber sat down with Vice President Lai for several wide-ranging interviews in Taiwan.
Joel and Taipei deputy bureau chief Cindy Wang join this episode to talk about the challenges the next president will face in preserving a democratic Taiwan, and public concerns about the possibility of military conflict with China.
Read more: Taiwan’s Election Is All About War
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