Taiwan’s Presidential Elections: A Primer

ChinaTalk welcomes Taiwan expert and Hoover research fellow Kharis Templeman. This episode is all things 2024 Taiwan elections — slated for January 13, 2024.

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Kharis is the program manager of the Project on Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific, and previously was the program manager of the Taiwan Democracy and Security Project.

In this show, we discuss:

• The frontrunners’ profiles — Lai Ching-te 賴清德, Hou Yu-ih 侯友宜, and Ko Wen-je 柯文哲 — and what makes this three-way race different from previous elections;
• Why the KMT’s nomination process was somewhat quirky this time around;
• The importance of party unity, and why some Taiwanese political parties have failed to unify in past election cycles;
• What’s on Taiwanese voters’ minds — beyond national-security concerns;
• The CCP’s preferred winner — plus if and how any PRC-based interference may manifest over the coming months;
• Why Taiwan’s election system is “unhackable”;
• What to make of the spread of disinformation and hyper-partisanship in Taiwan’s domestic media;
• And some pro tips on escaping the DC bubble and understanding the Taiwanese populace.

Outro music: Bubble Tea, by Mango Street Papa 芒果街老爸

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