Taiwan poll shows island state’s vibrant democracy

The victory in Taiwan’s presidential election of the candidate most loathed by Beijing sends an emphatic signal about the strength of democracy in the island state. As William Lai, 64, said in celebrating his remarkable success in winning another four-year term for the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party: “In the global election year of 2024, in the most anticipated first election, Taiwan has scored the first victory for democracy.” China did everything possible, through intimidation and military threats, to discourage Taiwan’s voters not to back what its massive propaganda campaign termed the “troublesome” and “separatist” Mr Lai. But in a free and fair election, voters effectively (and bravely) thumbed their noses at Beijing’s belligerence and gave Mr Lai 40 per cent of the vote, more than 6 per cent ahead of his nearest rival, Hou Yu-ih, of the Kuomintang party. All three of the main candidates, however, including a new party, Ko Wen-je’s Taiwan People’s Party, whose youthful support base made it the other big winner on Saturday, had similar policies towards Beijing. The three main candidates, and voters, showed real respect for Taiwan’s democratic values.

As Greg Sheridan writes on Monday, Mr Lai’s triumph “represents a humiliation for Beijing, a strong refusal by the people of Taiwan to be bullied, a harbinger of increased strategic danger in northern Asia, and both a wake-up call and a challenge for the Albanese government”.

Anthony Albanese should not delay in joining leaders such as Joe Biden and UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron in congratulating Mr Lai and the Taiwanese people. Australia must not allow itself to be cowed by assertions last week by Mr Xi’s man in Canberra, ambassador Xiao Qian, when he warned any “miscalculations” over our ties with the next Taiwanese government would see the Australian people “pushed over the edge of an abyss”. Mr Xiao warned Canberra against speaking out about “peace and stability” in Taiwan. “It is illogical and harmful to link China’s internal affairs with Australia’s security and safety,” he said.

The Albanese government should not be intimidated by such rhetoric. Taiwanese voters, supporting Mr Lai but also his two principal competitors, have overwhelming voted for democracy and freedom and against China’s Communist Party authoritarianism. Our strategic and security interests – and those of all the world’s democracies – lie in backing the strong, democratic ally the election has demonstrated Taiwan to be. To do otherwise would be to play into the hands of Mr Xi’s communist rule and that of his “no limits” best friend, Vladimir Putin. As North Asia correspondent Will Glasgow writes, China is rattled by Mr Lai: “The more immediate concern in Taipei, Washington, Canberra and other capitals is what Beijing does in the near term. No one credible expects Beijing will go through on its pre-campaign war threats, but waves of economic sanctions are expected. So are intimidating drills by China’s People’s Liberation Army.’’

Writing in these pages on Monday, Douglas Hsu, the chief representative at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia, highlighted the fact that Australia and Taiwan share many values, such as vibrant democracy, respecting the rule of law and human rights. “We pride ourselves on an entrepreneurial culture that encourages people to have a go,” he writes. “And we are a country willing to punch above its weight internationally by playing our part on the world stage.”