Taiwan Braces for Presidential Election Amid Rising Chinese Pressure

Frontrunner Lai Ching-te faces China's disapproval, as Beijing ramps up military exercises and disinformation campaigns ahead of the pivotal vote.

Taiwan's presidential and legislative elections are just weeks away, with China ramping up its rhetorical pressure against Taiwan and increasing military exercises near the island.
China has warned the U.S. against interfering in its 'internal' affairs, such as by sending defensive arms to Taiwan, while the U.S. has expressed its expectation that Taiwan's future would be decided 'peacefully'.
Taiwan's frontrunner in the election, Lai Ching-te, pledges to follow the moderate policies of President Tsai Ing-wen favoring greater international space for Taiwan and opposing forced unification.
China has not ruled out the use of force in achieving unification with Taiwan, and if Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party colleagues are victorious, Beijing may invoke its 2005 Anti-Secession Law.
Taiwan has seen a recent increase in disinformation from bots and Beijing-friendly online influencers trying to persuade voters that the U.S. 'is not a dependable partner', suggesting it would be safer to move closer to China.