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Joe Biden emphasized to President Xi Jinping of China the importance of non-interference in Taiwan's upcoming presidential and legislative elections, the U.S. president said last week after their long-awaited summit in San Francisco.
"I made it clear: I didn't expect any interference, any at all," Biden said, highlighting the significance of the issue in the broader U.S.-China relationship.
The matter of election interference gained prominence on November 15, just hours before the Biden-Xi talks, when Taiwanese presidential candidate Ko Wen-je said that the unofficial U.S. embassy in Taiwan had called him to ask whether there had been any Chinese interference in his surprise decision to discuss an alliance with a party seen as friendly to Beijing.
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) represents American interests in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.
Its inquiry followed Ko's initial agreement to form a joint ticket with Taiwan's Beijing-friendly opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), a decision he has all but reneged on. More changes are possible before the candidate registration deadline this coming Friday.
"We oppose outside interference or influence in Taiwan's elections, including campaigns of dis- and misinformation. We have deep confidence in Taiwan's democratic process and believe it is for Taiwan voters to decide their next leader, free from outside interference," a U.S. State Department spokesperson told Newsweek.
"The United States does not take sides in Taiwan's elections and is committed to fair treatment of the candidates. U.S. policy on Taiwan will remain the same regardless of which party is in power," the spokesperson said.
Ko's Taiwan People's Party (TPP) has emerged as a third force for younger voters in a shifting political landscape in Taiwan, which held its first direct presidential elections in 1996.
Ko's unexpected alliance with the KMT's Hou Yu-yi was seen as a strategic move to challenge the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its presidential frontrunner, Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's current vice president.
The DPP, known for its strong stance against unification with China, has leaned towards a closer relationship with the United States while trying to reduce the island's economic dependence on the neighbouring market.
In a television interview last week, Ko remarked on the inevitability of outside preferences in Taiwan's elections. Taiwan's plight, he said, was that of a "small nation" surrounded by "too many in-laws."
"Does China interfere in Taiwan's elections? Of course, it does. Both the U.S. and China interfere in Taiwan's elections. This is a certainty," he said. "But Taiwan as its own entity must make its own decisions."
The Biden-Xi summit, a key event that both sides used to reduce geopolitical tensions, saw the two leaders assert their respective position on Taiwan, a central issue in U.S.-China relations for decades.
"Both sides, from what we can tell, made boilerplate statements on Taiwan, although Xi Jinping would have had a little extra spring in his step that day after the news that Taiwan's two major opposition parties would attempt to back a single presidential candidate in the island's January 13 elections," said Sean King, senior vice president of the Park Strategies consultancy in New York.
"It's worth noting, however, Biden said it was he who proactively raised Taiwan with Xi and when asked, again said Xi's a dictator," King told Newsweek.
China, while not openly favoring either Hou or Ko, has thrown its weight behind a joint KMT-TPP ticket in opposition to the DPP, which it views as advocating for Taiwan's permanent separation from the mainland.
On Monday, Lai announced Hsiao Bi-khim, Taipei's representative to Washington, D.C., as his running mate. Hsiao, a key figure in elevating Taiwan's international presence, has twice been sanctioned by Beijing—largely symbolic moves due to a lack of actual jurisdiction.
The pair are now the only confirmed presidential and vice presidential candidates to appear on the ballots on January 13.
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, criticized the Lai-Hsiao ticket, labeling them an "independence double act" and highlighting the potential impact on cross-strait relations.
"Every Taiwan compatriot knows very well what it would mean for the situation in the Taiwan Straits, what it would mean for the lives of the people of Taiwan, and what it would mean for Taiwan's future destiny," she said.
Despite Beijing's warnings, Lai says his presidency would reduce the likelihood of conflict with China, as he wouldn't neglect Taiwan's self-defense.
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry didn't return a written request for comment before publication.
About the writer
John Feng is Newsweek's contributing editor for Asia based in Taichung, Taiwan. His focus is on East Asian politics. He ... Read more