China’s Suspensions of Taiwanese Agricultural Imports
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24224485 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yueting Zhao |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-36 |
| Publication date | 2026-10-12 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Asian Survey (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0004-4687 • E-ISSN: 1533-838X |
| Publisher | University of California Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1525/as.2026.3180120 |
| OpenAlex | W7221556450 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 18 |
Foreign economic pressure does not always weaken the government of the targeted state. This article examines whether such pressure translates into electoral punishment of incumbent governments. China’s suspensions of Taiwanese agricultural imports provide an empirical setting for this question. I test whether localities more exposed to these restrictions recorded larger vote-share losses for the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party. Using agricultural production and trade data, election returns, and supplementary survey evidence, I find that several suspended commodities were concentrated in identifiable producing areas, depended on Chinese markets, and experienced major China-bound export disruptions. Yet greater exposure was not associated with larger presidential or mayoral vote-share losses for the DPP. The observable trade disruption did not produce corresponding electoral costs for the target government, suggesting that assessments of foreign economic pressure should distinguish economic disruption from electoral punishment.
agricultural trade · cross-strait relations · Democratic Progressive Party · electoral punishment · local elections · mayoral elections · presidential elections · trade sanctions · COVID-19, Geopolitics, Technology, Migration · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Hong Kong and Taiwan Politics
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| Highly cited | No |
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