On 13 January 2024, 14 million Taiwanese voters went to the polling stations and elected the new president, vice president, and legislators of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Securing 40% of the votes, William Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the presidential race against his opponents: Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang (KMT) with 33.5%, and Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) with 26.5%. In the parliamentary race for the 113 seats in the Legislative Yuan, the KMT won 52 seats, the DPP won 51 seats, the TPP won eight seats, while the remaining two seats were won by KMT-leaning independents. In this panel discussion, Dr Monique Chu, Dr Michael Reilly, and Dr Jing Bo-jiun will analyse the election outcome, unpack crucial campaign issues, and assess the implications for Taiwan’s future and the broader geopolitical landscape in the regional and international arenas.

Panellists: Dr Monique Chu, Lecture in Chinese Politics, University of Southampton; Dr Michael Reilly, Senior Fellow, Taiwan Research Hub, University of Nottingham; Dr Jing Bo-jiun, Senior Research Fellow in Taiwan Studies, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford