Taiwan Elected a New President. He Faces Big China Challenges
Taiwan\u2019s new president\xa0has his work cut out for him, Michael Cunningham says.\n\u201cHe\u2019s not in an easy position,\u201d\xa0Cunningham, a research fellow in the Asian Studies Center of The Heritage Foundation, says of President-elect Lai Ching-te. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.)\n\u201cBeijing deeply distrusts\u201d the political party Lai is a member of because China\u2019s leaders think that party is \u201cintent on seeking formal independence\xa0from China,\u201d Cunningham says. While it\u2019s likely Lai will maintain the status quo and not seek formal independence from China, Cunningham predicts China will continue applying pressure to Taiwan.\nDuring his presidency, Lai, 64, is \u201cprobably going to have to constantly be responding to provocations by\xa0Beijing,\u201d he said. Lai, currently vice president, takes office May 20.\nCunningham was in Taiwan during the election on Jan. 13 and joins \u201cThe Daily Signal Podcast\u201d to explain why Taiwan\u2019s freedom directly affects America. He also explains why he thinks it\u2019s unlikely China will launch a full-scale invasion of Taiwan anytime in the near future.\nEnjoy the show!\n Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.