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Big trouble in Little Taiwan? Our experts weigh in.

Jan 8, 2019

2 min

Elizabeth Larus

It won’t be just America that faces a heated and high-stakes election in 2020, the small country of Taiwan is also at political cross-roads and its future could hang in the balance.


To look back, just over two years ago, the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won a major victory in both the presidential and the legislative elections over the Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT) in Taiwan.


KMT’s pro-China approach was thoroughly rejected by voters.


However, recent elections saw a serious shift back in opinions toward the KMT’s favor, delivering a severe blow to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.


In a recent Financial Times piece, added her perspective.


“Elizabeth Freund Larus, a Taiwan expert at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, said China would probably seek to capitalize on a series of DPP losses in local elections in November to sow discontent among Taiwanese and boost support for the China-friendly opposition party, the Kuomintang, ahead of the 2020 presidential election. “China’s leaders are like sharks in the water: they smell blood,” she said.” Taiwan seeks to bolster international support after China threats (Financial Times)


So, what lies ahead for Taiwan?



  • Will China meddle or push for KMT support?
  • Can it be stopped?
  • Will there be international support against Chinese interference?
  • How will China react?
  • And is this a political hot potato that could play into the upcoming US primaries and elections?

There’s a lot out there that just not known, and that’s where our experts can help.


Elizabeth Larus is a professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington and is an #expert on China and the field of Asian studies.  She is available to speak to media regarding this topic – simply click on her icon to arrange an interview.



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Elizabeth Larus

Elizabeth Larus

Professor, Political Science

Dr. Larus is an expert in the politics of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong

Political ScienceUniversity TeachingPublic PolicyInternational RelationsForeign Policy

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