Taiwan election: It's not war young voters worry about - it's jobs - BBC News

With high home prices and stagnant wages, young voters care more about the economy than Beijing's threats.

1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage caption, Ziwei (second left) struggled to afford a place to live on her civil servant's wageBy Tessa WongBBC News, TaipeiZiwei can still remember the months she spent huddling alone in a tiny shoebox apartment in Taipei.

There was no window in the 10-sq-m studio, just a small vent near the ceiling. It perpetually stank of sewage, even after she stuffed her shower drain with plastic bags. And the walls were painted in just the oddest shade of orange.

"With no windows, I felt so sad," the 32-year-old recalled. "I would stay out really late every night, and I would come home only to sleep."

But it was all she could afford in 2019 after breaking up with her boyfriend and moving out. Though she was a civil servant - considered to be a good job - her monthly pay was NT$40,000 ($1,285; £1,011) at the time, well below the national average.

Low wages and housing will be on the minds of Ziwei and six million Taiwanese voters under the age of 40 on Saturday, when they choose their president and parliament.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-67945643?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

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