Author

Picture of AsiaCentre

AsiaCentre

Founded in 2005, Asia Centre is an independent research institute that holds debates and issues publications on matters relating to international, strategic, economic relations, as well as the political and social transformations underway in the Asia-Pacific region. At the crossroads of university research as well as public and private decision-making, Asia Centre researchers identify critical regional issues and analyse them in-depth, taking into consideration both local and global dimensions. Asia Centre’s programs are developed with a vast network of partners, companies and major specialist centres in Europe, North America and Asia. The Centre carries out joint operations with these groups, for a better interpretation of ideas and issues. The conclusions of these meetings, such as the results of the work carried out using original sources by our researchers, are widely distributed through the Centre’s publications as well as through international journals, books and media.

Other analyses

Taiwan cooking oil scandal: Why Isn’t Beijing Adding Fuel to the Fire? • Isabelle Feng

31 July 2026 No Comments

In this new piece, Isabelle Feng looks back at the tainted cooking oil scandal that has affected Taiwan for several weeks, and at Beijing’s measured response to the affair. She examines the protests held in Taipei on 25 July, the coverage of the event by Chinese state media, and reactions observed on Chinese social media. She puts this episode in perspective alongside the history of food safety scandals in mainland China and the question of freedom to protest on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Read More »

Memo – Taiwan’s new political landscape after the January 2016 presidential election and its international consequences

.PDF
supasit-chantranon-pj9p_cpQT3I-unsplash

Table ronde n°8 de l’Observatoire Chine, 27 janvier 2016, avec le Dr. Tung Chen-yuan (National Chengchi University (Taiwan)

In Taiwan’s 2016 general election, held on January 16th, the Democratic Progressive Party (Minjindang, DPP) won landslide victory. Its candidate Tsai Ing-wen was elected President of the Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan’s official name, with 56.1% of the votes, and the DPP won 68 seats out of 113 in the Legislative Yuan – which ensures it an absolute majority in the Parliament for the first time ever. For its part, the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT), the current ruling party, suffered a huge electoral defeat. Its presidential candidate Eric Chu Li-luan only got 31% of the vote, and its number of seats in the Parliament fell to 35, down from 64 in 2012. The great confidence placed in the DPP and the bitter disappointment expressed towards the KMT have reveal the Taiwanese people’s longing for political change, especially as far as cross-Strait relations are concerned. Dr. Tung Chen-yuan’s presentation therefore has revolved around the possible evolution of Taiwan-mainland China relations in the wake of Tsai’s election.

  • The Legacy of President Ma’s Rapprochement Policy Towards China
  • The Impact of Tsai’s Election on Cross-Strait Relations
  • How Can Cross-Strait Relations Be Sustainable?
  • Q&A
asiacentre.eu