‘Captain Taiwan’ President Tsai launches local election campaign
By Ben Blanchard
TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen launched her occasion’s marketing campaign for November native elections on Sunday, touting the island’s financial resilience within the face of world challenges just like the warfare in Ukraine and inflation.
Whereas Tsai and her ruling Democratic Progressive Social gathering (DPP) swept the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections, the principle opposition occasion the Kuomintang (KMT) made sturdy beneficial properties in 2018 elections for mayors and councillors.
Launched as “Captain Taiwan” on the DPP’s annual congress, Tsai informed the occasion the post-pandemic period was filled with challenges and alternatives, pointing to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and hovering world inflation.
“However we are able to stay assured in ourselves. Taiwan’s financial fundamentals are good, and plenty of industries have additionally grasped a key strategic place within the course of of world supply-chain restructuring,” she mentioned.
Whereas Taiwan has downgraded its 2022 financial development forecast under 4% and should lower it once more, policymakers have repeatedly pointed to continued sturdy exports as a optimistic signal, significantly of semiconductors.
Tsai, the occasion chairwoman, mentioned what occurred in 2018 was a “profound lesson”.
“However everyone knows very effectively that the individuals taught us a lesson as a result of they need us to be higher.”
Requested by reporters whether or not she was assured in regards to the election, Tsai gave a thumbs-up.
The Nov. 26 ballot will probably be a take a look at for each events forward of the presidential and parliamentary vote in early 2024, and will probably be held towards the backdrop of rising army strain from China, which claims Taiwan as its personal territory.
Taiwan’s mayoral and councillor elections are historically extra about native issues like air pollution and social points than about Taiwan’s worldwide place or ties with China. Tsai didn’t point out China.
Nonetheless, Premier Su Tseng-chang, who spoke earlier than her, criticised China’s “impolite and unreasonable strain”, quoting Tsai as saying Taiwan’s individuals will probably be unbowed.
The KMT, which dominated China earlier than fleeing to Taiwan on the finish of the Chinese language civil warfare in 1949, historically favours shut relations with Beijing, which has left it open to DPP assaults it should promote out the island’s freedom and democracy.
The opposition occasion denies this however couldn’t shake the accusations forward of the 2020 elections, resulting in the DPP landslide.
The KMT has accused the federal government of being intentionally antagonistic towards China, and has accused it of letting a home COVID-19 outbreak get uncontrolled this 12 months, resulting in greater than 4 million infections, and for failing to cope with issues like persistent energy cuts.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Enhancing by William Mallard)
