On Taiwan, the Honeymoon Is Over
Since assuming office last May, public approval of President Tsai Ing-wn has plummeted. After a post-inaugural high of 69.9 percent, Tsai’s approval ratings last month dropped to new lows of 38 and 27 percent, according to two different polling stations. At the same time, Beijing has ramped up displays of military aggression and utilized its economic leverage to hit Taiwan’s already lackluster economy. Is Tsai’s lack of popularity an indication that Taiwanese are ready for warmer relations with Beijing? Will Tsai seek to bolster flagging numbers by courting her base, including more radical party voices calling for independence? And how might the Trump administration tip the cross-strait balancing act?
