TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Youth groups from Taiwan’s three main political parties organized a seminar on Monday (Aug. 26) about the US presidential election and its implications for Taiwan. 

The seminar was hosted by the Asia Pacific Youth Association (亞太青年協會) at the Legislative Yuan, per CNA. It was co-organized by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Youth Development Department, the Kuomintang (KMT) Youth League, and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Youth Department. 

DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) spoke to youth at the seminar. He said Taiwan has won support from both US Democrats and Republicans, and regardless of whether Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump is elected, there should be no major changes in US foreign policy on Taiwan. 

Wang led a bipartisan delegation of Taiwanese lawmakers to the US Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19-22. He called both political parties “cherished friends” and said that Taiwan will not choose sides in the US election this November, just as the US remained neutral in Taiwan’s election in January. 

Wang urged Taiwanese youth to pay attention to the news, pointing to upcoming political shifts expected this year. Besides the US election, he mentioned that Vietnam nominated its new president in May, and Japan will choose its new prime minister in September. 

In addition, Kuomintang (KMT) Taoyuan City Councilor Ling Tao (凌濤) spoke to the seminar participants after attending the Democratic National Convention. He believes the main difference between the two parties’ foreign policy is that the Republican Party advocates “America first” in areas such as the economy and defense, while the Democratic Party pushes a diverse spectrum of American liberal values and ideals. He called Trump’s policies “unilateral,” while Harris is expected to continue the multilateralism of current President Joe Biden. 

Ling said the KMT hopes that national defense and diplomacy go hand in hand. He emphasized the importance of dialogue among Taiwan, the US, and China to lower tensions in the Taiwan Strait. He pointed to National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung’s (林佳龍) recent visit to Washington, and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s (王毅) upcoming meeting in Beijing.

TPP Legislators Chang Chi-kai (張啓楷) and Chen Zhao-zi (陳昭姿) also attended the seminar, sharing recent polling that showed Harris slightly ahead of Trump. Chang said he believes the economy is a primary concern for American voters, and policies on tariffs and inflation will affect the current momentum.