XI MULLS PYROTECHNICS TO INFLUENCE 2024 TAIWAN POLL

The worry in the minds of voters is whether the US and Europe will have the resolve to challenge China should Xi start to carry out his threat of unification by force.

- MADHAV NALAPAT

Major capitals across the world are paying close attention to the 13 January 2024 Presidential elections in Taiwan. The concern is the possibility that Xi Jinping would take advantage of the twin crises in Ukraine and Gaza to ramp up aggressive action against Taiwan. Should the US, the EU and the Quad not respond to such activity in a deterrent manner, it would diminish their credibility across the world and boost the perception that the PRC under Xi Jinping is unstoppable in its expansionist drive. CCP officials close to Xi Jinping have publicly declared that the coming Presidential polls in Taiwan represent a choice between "war and peace". Their intent is to scare voters away from casting their ballots in favour of the present ruling party, the DPP. Apart from such a message, delivered with the quintessential lack of subtlety associated with CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping, the island nation has been bombarded with messaging from the other side to try and ensure that the DPP loses the January 2024 Presidential polls as well as control of the Legislative Yuan to the KMT.