Economics
Voters in Asia’s Brightest ‘Tiger’ Economy Face a Tricky Choice
- Taiwan has emerged as trade-war winner through investment
- Slow income growth and aging society pose challenges ahead
Pedestrians walk past stores in the Ximending district of Taipei, Taiwan, on Jan. 4.
Photographer: Betsy Joles/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Taiwan’s economic performance could act as a tiebreaker for undecided voters choosing a candidate in this weekend’s election, with the recent successes during President Tsai Ing-wen’s term offset by frustration at slower-than-expected progress in boosting the incomes of ordinary citizens.
While Tsai has overseen faster growth, a surge in investment and buoyant financial markets since she took office in 2016, there are concerns hidden under the rosy data. Here are four charts summarizing the outlook as she faces the challenge from Han Kuo-yu of the more China-friendly Kuomintang, and James Soong of People First Party this Saturday.