Over the past three decades, Taiwan’s transition from harsh authoritarian rule to a thriving democracy led to the development of a consolidated identity that is more Taiwanese than Chinese. The rise of a distinct identity is a crucial factor in electoral politics in Taiwan.
Taiwanese elections are never simply a matter of choosing a candidate from a preferred political party. Rather, electoral contests in the island country have always been an indicator of the voters’ national identity and attitudes towards cross-strait relations. While many outside observers still view the elections in Taiwan in binary terms — as a demonstration of pro-independence or pro-unification sympathies — recent elections have shown that Taiwanese voters are increasingly transgressing this cleavage. This is a product of consolidation of Taiwanese identity which makes Taiwanese people wary of increasing their country’s dependence on increasingly belligerent China.