Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry condemned China for “blatantly intimidating the Taiwanese people and seeking to affect the election. China has, during the past four years, increased military activity around the island, regularly sending warplanes and warships into the Taiwan Strait. The KMT, which traditionally favors closer ties with China but denies being pro-Beijing, has also spoken out against Mr. Lai. The KMT vice-presidential candidate Jaw Shaw-kong expressed concerns that tensions would likely rise if Mr. Lai won, and accused him of aligning with China’s interests.

In response, the DPP spokesperson Tai Wei-shan accused Jaw of “thinking only about unification with China. However, Mr. Lai has stated that he would maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and pursue peace through strength if elected, remaining open to engagement with Beijing under the preconditions of equality and dignity. In addition, the KMT’s presidential candidate, Mr. Hou Yu-ih, has pledged to maintain the status quo and oppose the “one country, two systems autonomy model offered by Beijing.

He emphasized the importance of Taiwan’s democratic and free system and pledged to ensure strong defenses against any potential attack. The election is being closely watched internationally amid geopolitical tensions, with China regarding Taiwan as its own territory to be reunified and Taiwan rejecting China’s sovereignty claims. The competing viewpoints on the future of the Taiwan Strait have raised concerns about the potential impact of the election results on cross-strait relations and regional stability.