Presidential Elections in Taiwan

Context:

• Presidential elections were held in Taiwan on 13 January 2024.

What is Taiwan?

1. Taiwan is an island located in East Asia and it is separated from China by Taiwan Strait.
2. A strait is a narrow passage of water that connects two larger bodies of water. Taiwan Strait connects the East China Sea and the South China Sea.
3. The island is relatively autonomous and governs itself.

Capital	Taipei
Population	Over 23 million people

What is the Historical Background of Taiwan?

1. China claims Taiwan as its territory and wants to reunite it with mainland China.
2. This claim dates back to Chinese records from AD 239 when the Emperor of China had sent its forces and claimed Taiwan as part of its territory.

Period	Taiwan’s Status
Till 1683	Taiwan was colonised by various countries, including the Dutch East India Company.
1683–1895	Taiwan was under the Rule of the Qing Dynasty.
1895–1945	Taiwan was given to Japan as it won the 1st Sino-Japanese War. Hence, it remained under the Japanese Rule.
1945	Taiwan was returned to China.
1949	The civil war between the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang or KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ended.

What is a Civil War?

1. A civil war is a fight within one country between different groups that want control.
2. In the case of China, civil war continued for a very long time from 1927 and 1949.
3. KMT wanted to introduce Liberal democracy like Western countries, whereas CCP wanted to establish a Communist state like the USSR.
4. In 1949, the members of the KMT ran away to Taiwan and the CCP took the control of entire China. CCP even claimed sovereignty over Taiwan. Sovereignty refers to the supreme and absolute authority a state has over its territory and people.
5. CCP has time and again said that one day they will re-unite Taiwan into mainland China. For this, they are even ready to make use of military force.
6. On the other hand, KMT led Taiwan to establish a constitutional democracy. It also has an armed force of around 3 lakh personnel. It seeks international recognition as an independent and sovereign country.

What are China’s Concerns regarding Taiwan?

1. The present President of Taiwan has given hints of the formal independence of Taiwan.
2. The growing ties of Taiwan with the United States add to the tension.
3. Although the USA officially recognises China and not Taiwan, it sells weapons to Taiwan.
4. Taiwan is part of the ‘ first island chain’. The "first island chain" is a term that refers to a line of important islands off the eastern coast of Asia, including places like Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines which are friendly to the USA.
5. Taiwan is the Hub of Semiconductor Industry. The semiconductor chips developed by the Taiwanese company TSMC are considered the best in the world. Even the USA is dependent on these chips.

What is the Role of the United States of America?

1. The U.S. initially supported Taiwan’s Nationalists i.e. KMT in 1949.
2. However, it changed its stance in 1979 and recognised mainland China as the real China.
3. But it does not mean the USA left Taiwan. Rather, it has maintained strategic ambiguity about Taiwan.

What is Strategic Ambiguity?

1. It means the USA doesn't clearly say whether it would defend Taiwan if there's a conflict with China.
2. In 1979, USA passed the Taiwan Relations Act which allowed the U.S. to support Taiwan militarily.
3. It treats Taiwan as a democratic partner, which can counter China's influence in the region.

What are India’s Interests in Taiwan?

1. India shares common interests with Taiwan, including trade and strategic concerns regarding China's aggression.
2. Both countries value democracy, freedom, and human rights.
3. India also has an interest in technology exchange which can help in its digital transformation, tourism, education, and people-to-people contacts with Taiwan.

What has been India’s Stand regarding Taiwan?

1. India and Taiwan have had a kind of quiet friendship since 1995 through the India-Taiwan Association (ITA). They handle things like business, tourism, and passport paperwork together.
2. India wants any issues between Taiwan and China to be peacefully solved through dialogue, which aligns with Article 51 of the Consitution of India. Article 51 says that India should work towards maintaining peace and security in the world.

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