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Lai Ching-te’s inauguration speech: reactions from China, civil unrest in Taiwan

Grano, Simona Alba (2024). Lai Ching-te’s inauguration speech: reactions from China, civil unrest in Taiwan. New York: Asia Society Policy Institute.

Abstract

After winning Taiwan’s presidential election with 40% of the vote in January,1 Lai Ching-te faced his first major test on May 20, 2024: his inaugural address. The speech incited a strong military reaction from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Meanwhile, the largest civil protests since the Sunflower Student Movement2 have gripped the island in reaction to a bill passed by opposition parties — a bill that some fear could expand the legislature’s power and undermine the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidency. For a number of reasons, Lai’s address, the protests, and his cross-Strait policies are crucial to understanding the continuing evolution of cross-Strait relations as well as the PRC-U.S.-Taiwan triangle. First and foremost, cross-Strait relations are at an all-time low; second, the U.S. presidential election in November could shift U.S. policy toward Taiwan; and third, Lai will govern with a divided Legislative Yuan, presenting challenges to his domestic agenda.

This paper will first deal with President Lai’s address and how it framed cross-strait issues, Taiwan’s relationship with the PRC, and other important topics. It will then cover China’s response and likely posture in the upcoming months. The paper then analyzes the current civil protests in Taiwan and how a divided legislature will impact politics over the next four years. The penultimate section looks at the expected differences between a Biden presidency and a Trump presidency for Beijing, Taipei, and the world. A conclusion sums up the paper’s key points.

Additional indexing

Item Type:Published Research Report
Communities & Collections:06 Faculty of Arts > Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies
Dewey Decimal Classification:180 Ancient, medieval & eastern philosophy
290 Other religions
Language:English
Date:26 June 2024
Deposited On:27 Jun 2024 10:53
Last Modified:27 Jun 2024 10:53
Publisher:Asia Society Policy Institute
OA Status:Closed
Official URL:https://asiasociety.org/policy-institute/lai-ching-tes-inauguration-speech-reactions-china-civil-unrest-taiwan
Related URLs:https://asiasociety.org/policy-institute/lai-ching-tes-inauguration-speech-reactions-china-civil-unrest-taiwan
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