The upcoming Taiwanese presidential election on January 16, 2016 has drawn increasing attention to Beijing and Taipei’s relationship. In Taiwan, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate, Tsai Ing-wen, has been projected to defeat the ruling Kuomingtang (KMT) Nationalist Party candidate in 2016 by different polling agencies. For eight years, KMT has taken a pro-China stance, which helped stabilize the relationship between the two governments. How will the election outcomes affect cross-straits relations and Taiwan’s relations with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region? As Taiwan became more economically dependent on China, how will DPP handle a potential shift in policy stance if Tsai wins? Will Taiwan’s intentions of joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) be affected after the elections?

To answer these questions, our discussion brings together Dr. Carla Park Freeman, Associate Director of the China Studies Program at Johns Hopkins-SAIS, to speak from China’s perspective; Ms. Meredith Miller, Vice President for Southeast Asia at the Albright Stonebridge Group, to speak from ASEAN’s perspective; Mr. Robert A. Manning, Senior Fellow of the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security at the Atlantic Council, to speak from Japan and South Korea’s perspectives; and Ms. Bonnie S. Glaser, Senior Advisor for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, to speak from Taiwan’s perspective. The discussion will be moderated by Ms. Nike Ching, Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent with the Voice of America Mandarin.

This Atlantic Council event is part of the Cross-Straits Series of the Brent Scowcroft Center’s Asia Security Initiative, which examines strategic and current affairs surrounding cross-straits relations.

Dr. Carla Park Freeman
Associate Director, China Studies Program;
Associate Research Professor and Executive Director,
SAIS Foreign Policy Institute
Johns Hopkins University

Ms. Bonnie S. Glaser
Senior Advisor for Asia, Freeman Chair in China Studies;
Senior Associate, Pacific Forum
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Ms. Meredith Miller
Vice President for Southeast Asia
Albright Stonebridge Group

Mr. Robert A. Manning
Senior Fellow, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security
Atlantic Council

Ms. Nike Ching (moderator)
Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Voice of America Mandarin