Election results confirm desire of self-ruled democracy to remain independent of Beijing

Earlier this month, Taiwan voters bravely elected Vice-President Lai Ching-te as their new president, a man Beijing despises as a separatist and “troublemaker.” Lai’s victory extended the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rule for an unprecedented third four-year term. The runner-up was Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang, the party founded by Chiang Kai-shek when he fled the mainland after being defeated militarily by the Communist party of China in 1949. Both Hou and the third-party candidate, Ko Wen-je, had promised to engage more with Beijing.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Don't have an account? Create Account

With an enviable turnout of 72 per cent of eligible voters, Lai received more than 40 per cent of the votes but no party gained a majority in the legislature. With eight seats, Ko’s Taiwan People’s Party holds the balance of power in a minority parliament.

Taiwan’s legislature will be more fragmented than it has been since 2008. If elected officials are going to perform well, they will have to work together, despite party differences. Taiwan’s people are not as divided. They want to live in basic security and tranquillity, enjoying their hard-earned freedoms, expecting their government to improve their livelihoods, especially for the next generation, and to be accountable.

The verdict suggests that most of Taiwan’s 23 million people favour maintaining the status quo, neither formally declaring independence nor becoming part of China — reflecting a level of “strategic ambiguity” to which the U.S. and its western allies subscribe. The ambiguity may serve the interests of some but offers little consolation for the people of Taiwan, who deserve better security assurances from their putative democratic allies.

This newsletter tackles hot topics with........

© National Post