Taiwan Isn’t What’s Dividing the US and China
Whatever happens in this weekend’s elections, tensions between the two superpowers will continue to rise.
A DPP victory would infuriate China.
Photographer: I-Hwa Cheng/AFP/Getty Images
The fate of US-China relations may hinge on this weekend’s elections in Taiwan — or so China would like the world to believe. If Vice President Lai Ching-te, candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), prevails, tensions are almost certain to rise. China could ramp up air and naval incursions, stage cyber-attacks, and boycott Taiwanese goods to signal its displeasure, increasing the risks of a clash that could draw in US forces and devastate the world economy.
In fact, while a loss by the DPP would likely lower tensions across the Taiwan Strait, it would not have much impact on the overall US-China rivalry.