Taiwan: Calling China to the Table

Taiwanese President-Elect Ma Ying-jeou will take the oath of office May 20, ending eight years of rule by the Democratic Progressive Party and bringing the Kuomintang (KMT) back to power. While much has been made of Ma and the KMT’s recent relations with mainland China, Ma will not nearly be the pro-China figure Beijing may hope for. Rather, Ma’s foreign policy is about building “international space” for Taiwan, with a particular focus on exploiting Taiwan’s economic potential and geographic location.