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This regional report on Asia applies the globally informed framework developed in International IDEA’s 2023 report Designing Resistance: Democratic Institutions and the Threat of Backsliding. Through case studies examining eight countries—India, Indonesia, Mongolia, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand—the report

The Eighth Melbourne Forum on Constitution Building in Asia and the Pacific brought together scholars and practitioners to Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan) to examine the defining global challenge of our time - climate change - from a constitutional perspective. Our region is highly affected by a changing climate, posing risks to the livelihoods of peoples and in some cases, the very existence of states.

International IDEA’s Anna Dziedzic spoke to Dr Yu Jie Chen to hear her reflections on the 2024 Taiwanese elections. They discuss the implications of the new status quo – in which neither of the two major parties hold a majority of legislature seats – and the increasingly sophisticated ways that Beijing seeks to influence Taiwan’s elections.

International IDEA’s Anna Dziedzic spoke to Dr Yu Jie Chen to hear her reflections on the 2024 Taiwanese elections. They discuss the implications of the new status quo – in which neither of the two major parties hold a majority of legislature seats – and the increasingly sophisticated ways that Beijing seeks to influence Taiwan’s elections.

In recent years, the debate about lowering the voting age has intensified in many countries. Typically, young people around the world can head to the polls between 16 and 18 years of age, although some nations like Singapore and Taiwan set the age at 21 and 20, respectively.

The Taiwan Strait has long been a point of tension, as Taiwan seeks more independence while China insists that the island is part of its territory. These tensions have raised concerns about a potential conflict between the two, and Southeast Asian nations are paying close attention.

Overview 

Why did the January 2024 Taiwan election catch the world’s attention? Taiwan holds a unique position in the international system that its sovereignty is not recognized internationally due to China’s proclaim that Taiwan is an integral part of it.