Kharis Templeman, research fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, returns to ChinaTalk to break down the recent Taiwan elections, held on January 13.

We discuss:

• The lack of surprises in the election results, the subdued vibes during the campaign, and contrasts between local perspectives and foreign media narratives.
• Why the KMT failed to win the presidency, notwithstanding voter dissatisfaction with the DPP.
• China’s surprisingly muted response to the election, and how it may reassess its cross-Strait policies given a third DPP president.
• The new composition of the Legislative Yuan, and the strategic position of the Taiwan People’s Party as gatekeeper.
• Observations from Kharis’s time in Taiwan during the election season, and the gift of Taiwan’s democratic process.

Outro music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epwlWDCCevY

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