Taiwan election: Vice President Lai wins vote, defying China
Voters in Taiwan elected Vice President Lai Ching-te as their next president, defying warnings from Beijing not to support a candidate it calls a separatist.
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Voters in Taiwan elected Vice President Lai Ching-te as their next president on Saturday, defying warnings from Beijing not to support a candidate it has called a separatist and a “troublemaker.”
The election, which China had described as “a choice between war and peace,” could test recent efforts by Beijing and Washington to repair relations that in recent years have fallen to their lowest point in decades. The status of Taiwan, one of the strongest democracies in Asia, is among the most sensitive issues between the two superpowers, and focus will now turn to any potential show of force from Beijing in response.
Supporters react to Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te’s victory in the island’s presidential election on Saturday. Alastair Pike / AFP via Getty ImagesChina claims Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force against the island, while the U.S. is Taiwan’s most important international backer. The majority of Taiwan’s 23 million people are in favor of maintaining the status quo, neither formally declaring independence nor becoming part of China.
Lai’s victory extends the eight-year rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is considered the least friendly to Beijing. Relations between Taiwan and China have deteriorated under President Tsai Ing-wen, who was first elected in 2016 and is limited to two terms.
Voters in Taiwan, especially younger ones, were concerned not just with China policy but with economic issues such as unemployment, housing costs and income inequality.
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