The Taiwan Elections and What the Results Mean for China and the U.S.
1/17/2020 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Event Description
On January 11th, Taiwan voters will go to the polls to elect a president and all the members of the legislature. President Tsai Ing-wen is running for re-election and, somewhat surprisingly, has a comfortable lead in the polls. The outcome of the legislative elections, and whether Taiwan will have unified or divided government, is uncertain. China favors Tsai’s opponent whereas the Trump administration has worked with her and her team. Richard Bush, Taiwan specialist at the Brookings Institution, will asses the results of the elections and their implications.
Dr. Bush is also the holder of the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies. He came to Brookings in July 2002 after nineteen years working in the U.S. government, including five years as the Chairman and Managing Director of the American Institute in Taiwan. In July 1995, Dr. Bush became National Intelligence Officer for East Asia, in charge of the analytic work of the intelligence committee concerning Taiwan, China, and other countries. He became chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan in September 1997. As chairman he played a key role in the conduct and articulation of U.S. policy towards Taiwan, particularly in the transition of power to President Chen Shui-bian and the Democratic Progressive Party after fifty-five years of KMT rule.
