This Saturday (13), Lai Ching-te, from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was elected president of Taiwan, reflecting the popular will for a leader with strong opposition to Chinese influence. As of 11:20 am Brasília time, Lai had accumulated 5.5 million votes, compared to 4.6 million for candidate Hou Yu-ih, from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), and 3.6 million for Ko Wen-je, from Taiwan People's Party (TPP).
Lai Ching-te, 64, is known as a staunch defender of Taiwanese identity and for his acid stance towards China, being labeled by the Chinese government as a “troublemaker”, “divisionist” and “hardliner”, in contrast to its policies that seek greater rapprochement with the United States.
The new Taiwanese president, who has held almost all of the island's main political positions, the last being vice president, leads the Pan-Green coalition, which is in favor of Taiwan's independence and against the unification of China. His party, in turn, has been in power since 2016.
The victory speech highlighted Taiwan's unwavering commitment to democracy, thanking the people for their strong participation in the elections. Lai highlighted the successful resistance to external efforts to influence the elections, asserting that only the people of Taiwan have the right to choose their own president.
“We are telling the international community that, between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand with democracy,” Lai said as he celebrated the victory in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, on Saturday night local time.
Regarding relations with China, Lai declared that he was “determined to protect Taiwan from China's continued threat and intimidation.” He expressed the desire to seek peace and stability in the region through dialogue, as opposed to confrontation.
Lai's victory is seen as a response by the Taiwanese electorate to Beijing's attempt to influence the elections, contradicting the narrative that voting for Lai would be voting in favor of war, as claimed by the Chinese government.
Dispute for the chip capital
The dispute between the United States and China over Taiwan mainly involves the purchase of chips produced in Taipei, which is considered the “chip capital”. That status It originates from a development trajectory begun by engineers in the 1970s. The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), located in Taipei, is the world's largest manufacturer of these components.
Being a leader in the manufacture of these thin silicon semiconductors arouses the interest of the international community, mainly from the USA and China, as the chips are essential for the manufacture of a wide range of electronic devices, from smartphones and computers to automotive control systems and Medical equipment.
During the pandemic, for example, nations suffered strong impacts on their economies, notably high inflation, due to the shortage of chips caused by delays in global supply chains.
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