We welcomed Chinese politics expert Professor Elizabeth Larus of the University of Mary Washington to discuss the implications of the American presidential election for cross-strait relations and the future of Taiwan. Prof. Larus, author of Politics and Society in Contemporary China and Economic Reform in China 1979-2003, will join host Salvatore Babones live from Washington, DC.
In the four years since then-president-elect Donald Trump took an unprecedented congratulatory phone call from Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen, the Trump administration has shown unprecedented levels of support for the small but important island nation. A country of just 24 million people, the strength of Taiwan’s economy and democracy are constantly tested by extreme levels of interference from China.
We asked Prof. Larus how Taiwan is able to survive and even thrive in the shadow of Beijing’s military threats and Chinese Communist Party infiltration. How long can Taiwan hold out against Chinese aggression? What lessons can Australia learn from Taiwan’s battle against Chinese influence? And crucially: what do America’s November 3 presidential elections mean for Taiwan?