Taiwan’s two bigger parties fear support for smaller Taiwan People’s Party from younger voters could cost them the presidency

Taiwan votes on Saturday in a closely-fought election that could have a major impact on the self-governing island’s relationships with mainland China and the United States. Campaigning ended on Friday with big rallies in Taipei for the three candidates to succeed president Tsai Ing-wen, who has governed Taiwan for the past eight years.

Vice-president Lai Ching-te has promised to continue Tsai’s policy of strengthening Taiwan’s defence capability and moving closer diplomatically to Washington. Beijing has denounced Lai as a separatist, although the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate has said he will not make a formal declaration of Taiwan’s independence.

Beijing’s defence ministry said on Friday that Taiwan’s purchase of more fighter aircraft from the US could not stop the island reuniting with the mainland. “The Chinese People’s Liberation Army remains on high alert at all times and will take all necessary measures to resolutely crush any form of Taiwan independence separatist plots and firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said.

Hou Yu-ih, the candidate for the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), has accused Lai and the DPP of risking a military confrontation with the mainland by antagonising Beijing. Hou, a former police officer who is currently mayor of New Taipei, has promised to restore dialogue with Beijing but has ruled out any talks with Xi Jinping about reunification.

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Ko Wen-je, a former surgeon who served two terms as mayor of Taipei City and is standing for the smaller Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), said on Friday that the two big parties had mishandled relations with mainland China. He said he was the only candidate who was acceptable to both Beijing and Washington, and he would base Taiwan’s relationship with both on mutual understanding, respect and co-operation.

Campaigning for Lai on Friday, outgoing president Tsai said that democracy and freedom were not abstract ideas for the people of Taiwan. “Taiwan is the only place in the Chinese-speaking world that has remained democratic,” she said.

Public polls are banned during the final weeks of the campaign but both of the bigger parties fear that support for Ko, particularly from younger voters, could cost them the presidency. Tsai said she understood why younger voters, many of whom are unhappy about low wages and unaffordable housing, wanted change.

“But just like driving a car you would not want some novice in control of the steering wheel when you are on a road that is complicated, narrow and twisting,” she said. “The DPP government has increased wages, cut taxes, strengthened long-term care and child care, and advanced housing justice. While not every action may have pleased everyone, we have made strides forward. As long as we stay on the right path we will reach our goals.”

In Beijing foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning dismissed the elections in Taiwan, which have received little attention in the Chinese media. “The elections of the Taiwan region are China’s internal affairs. Regardless of the result it will not change the basic fact that Taiwan is part of China and there is only one China in the world.”

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