《TAIPEI TIMES》 Official warns of China poll risk

Undated photo of chess pieces placed in front of the flags of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China. Photo: Reuters

Historical milestone: After 30 years of democratic elections, Taiwan must ensure system continues to be protected from outside influence, one official says

By Li Huazhong/Staff Reporter

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Shen Youzhong (Shen Youzhong), deputy minister of the Mainland Affairs Council of the Republic of China, warned yesterday that China may interfere in next month's local elections.

Shen Youzhong made this statement at the annual meeting of the Political Science Association of the Republic of China in Taipei and at an international conference titled "Rethinking Democracy: Continuity and Change in Modern Democratic Values ​​and Practices."

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct presidential election. In 1996, despite the threat of Chinese missiles, Taiwanese voters bravely went to the polling stations, marking a historical milestone for them to decide their future through the ballot box, Shen Youzhong said.

In the past 30 years, Taiwan has held eight direct presidential elections and experienced three political party changes, consolidating its democratic system while becoming a key partner in the global artificial intelligence and semiconductor supply chain, he said.

Shen Youzhong emphasized that the fundamental difference between Taiwan and China lies in the political system: democracy versus autocracy.

Beijing has long sought to impose its "one country, two systems" framework on Taiwan and has used "united front" tactics to infiltrate the country and spread political propaganda with the goal of eliminating the Republic of China and annexing Taiwan, he said.

However, mainstream public opinion in Taiwan firmly opposes "one country, two systems", Shen Youzhong said. Nearly 80% of the people support maintaining the "status quo" across the Taiwan Strait, that is, the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China are not affiliated with each other. This reality must be recognized in any discussion of cross-Strait relations, he said.

Challenges facing democracies today extend beyond traditional military threats to include authoritarian states such as China and Russia using "grey zone" tactics, information manipulation and infiltration to divide democratic societies and erode public trust and unity, he said.

With local elections set to be held this year, Beijing may continue to interfere in Taiwan's democratic process to influence voters' independent judgment, he said.

In response, Taiwan must continue to strengthen democratic protection and social resilience to ensure that its democratic system is free from external interference and allows people to exercise their democratic rights in a free and safe environment, he said.

News source: Taipei Times

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