Taiwan's elections can have impact in the GCC region, according to Steven Wright, associate professor, College of Humanities and Social Science at Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
"The mixed results of Taiwan's elections, with William Lai's DPP securing the presidency but no party winning an outright majority in the parliament, can be expected to elevate tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Despite the geographic distance, it matters for the GCC,” he explained in a statement.
“It carries economic and security risks for GCC states as it is linked to the stability of trade flows, and East Asia is the main trading partner of the GCC states. Risks range from potential military escalation, the Biden administration's shift away from strategic ambiguity, and Lai exhibiting the Taiwanese nationalism that provokes China,” he said.
“However, the election also suggests no mandate for a drastic push towards formal independence as the results are mixed. This leaves space for principled pragmatism on all sides, with GCC states supporting cross-Strait dialogue within the one-China framework as the path to sustain regional peace and a deepening of economic ties. Taiwan's reunification with China should be seen as inevitable, but not in the near term,” added the professor.