EXPERTS ADVISORY

Voters in Taiwan, the only democracy in the Chinese-speaking world, will choose a new president and legislature Jan. 16. University of Michigan experts are available to discuss the election:

Mary Gallagher, associate professor of political science and director of the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies, is an expert on Chinese politics, law and society.

“Taiwan’s upcoming presidential elections are another step in Taiwan’s historic democratization,” she said. “It’s likely that the opposition party will gain the top position for the second time and that the new president will be a woman for the first time.

“Although Beijing has shown restraint during this election cycle, the ongoing erosion of civil rights in Hong Kong sends an ominous message to the citizens of Taiwan. If the DPP is elected, cross-strait relations will become more complicated as the idea of ‘one-country, two systems’ in Hong Kong becomes less and less palatable to the people of Taiwan.”

Contact: 734-764-3566, [email protected]

John Ciorciari is an assistant professor at the Ford School of Public Policy. His research focuses on Southeast Asia and examines foreign policy strategies, human rights and the reform of international economic institutions.

“The likely arrival of a DPP-led government will unsettle the status quo in cross-strait relations, but a major rupture looks unlikely,” he said. “Tsai’s large lead in the polls has given officials in Beijing, Washington and elsewhere months to prepare for a transition.

“It has also reduced Tsai’s incentives to rally public support by talking tough, and her policy pronouncements have been quite pragmatic. Her reputation for caution also augurs against dramatic and precipitous moves following her expected electoral victory.”

Contact: 734-615-6947, [email protected]