Asia | The Hong Kong effect

Taiwan’s China-sceptic president, Tsai Ing-wen, may win again

But the threat from Beijing is not going away

A cheerful opposition, at least for now
|KAOHSIUNG AND TAIPEI

ELECTION RALLIES in Taiwan often feel like festivals with a dash of politics thrown in. At a recent one in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, thousands of people watched a fireworks display, then heard a blind blues singer. Eventually the show’s political star took to the stage: Enoch Wu, a young would-be legislator for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). China’s leader, Xi Jinping, “is watching to see if we are sure to defend our homeland,” he told the crowd. “We are,” his fans roared back.

This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “The China factor”

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