Taiwan will continue to go against Beijing's wishes and assert itself as an independent nation and economy if the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) goes on to win the Taiwanese elections on January 16.

The DPP presidential candidate -- who is also the front-runner in Taiwan's presidential race -- said as much on Sunday when she warned against the political rapport and close economic ties that have developed between Taiwan and the mainland since the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rose to power in 2008. 

Like Us on Facebook

"We cannot simply be bound to China," the DPP's Tsai Ing-wen said during a televised debate with her election rivals. "That's what worries us most about the past eight years, the sense that that's the only choice we have."

Many analysts regard Tsai as a shoo-in for Taiwan's next president. The results of a poll issued by the Taiwanese Cross-Strait Policy Association earlier this month shows the DPP presidential candidate commanding a 30 percentage-point lead against her rivals. 

Taiwan's likely next president has remained reticent about her views on Taiwan's relationship with China, revealing only that she is open to engaging in constructive dialogue with Beijing.

Tsai continues to stand by this position, but has now made clear that she is against any notion of Taiwan becoming dependent on China's slowed but still vigorous economy, and is likely to resist any moves toward a full unification. 

"That's not good for our economy or our security," Tsai said.  

China does not favor Tsai, who has built a strong political bulwark in Taiwan's younger voters.  Many among Taiwan's youth are angered by the policies of the ruling KMT, which they say have led to economic dependence on the mainland.    

Tsai has also criticized Taiwan's incumbent president Ma Ying-jeou for making no direct mention of Taiwan's freedom and democracy when he sat down for talks with China's President Xi Jinping during the China-Taiwan Summit held in Taipei in November.

Observing Beijing's reaction to Tsai's rising popularity among Taiwanese voters, Richard Bush, director of the Center for East Asia Policy Studies, says China may restrict interaction with Taiwan if she wins the presidency but rejects diplomatic overtures toward unification.

In an article published by the Brookings Institution in September, Bush said both Beijing and Washington are grateful that the Ma administration has reduced tensions between China and Taiwan.

"The policies of a DPP government might cause a reversal in cross-Strait relations, but how China reacts will be crucial," Bush said. "Beijing's interests are best served not by backing itself into a corner but by keeping options open." 

TagsTaiwan, China-Taiwan relations, Ma Ying-jeou