Taiwan’s election is shaped by economic realities, not just Beijing’s threats to use force

By ELAINE KURTENBACH
AP Business Writer

BANGKOK (AP) — Beijing’s threat to use force to claim the self-governed island of Taiwan isn’t just about missiles and warships. Hard economic realities will be at play as voters head to the polls Saturday. But the relationship is complicated. The Chinese mainland and Hong Kong account for about 40% of Taiwan’s exports and supply about one-quarter of its imports. Beijing has retaliated against Taiwan at times by banning imports of hundreds of products from the island, and Taiwan has done likewise. Major Apple iPhone suppliers like Foxconn operate in China and hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese have moved there to work. Another factor is Taiwan’s status as a strategically vital global supplier of computer chips.