Senior China official dealing with Taiwan probed for graft

There have been concerns that relations across the Taiwan Strait would deteriorate under Tsai’s administration, since the DPP is known for its pro-Taiwan independence stance. “After all, it’s both sides’ responsibility to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait”.

At the time, Tsai responded by saying she viewed the flood of messages “in a positive way” and hoped Chinese netizens would also be able to visit the Facebook pages of other Taiwanese people and groups although the social media site is blocked in China. That interpretation fits with Tsai’s repeated assertions that she will maintain the “status quo” of cross-strait relations, rather than seeking to overturn Ma’s policies.

In Beijing, Taiwan’s elections are sensitive and only partially reported in state media.

Chairperson and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen waves as she arrives at the headquarters of DPP, following the DPP’s victory in Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary elections, in Taipei, January 18, 2016. In 2015, Taiwan’s economy shrunk for the first time in six years as a result of Beijing’s economic slowdown and currency devaluation woes.

Military experts said the drills were aimed at sending a “political warning” to Taiwan’s president-elect Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of Democratic Progressive Party, that Beijing would never give up using “non-peaceful means” to solve cross-strait issues. With the inauguration set for May 20, the next four months will be crucial for Taipei and Beijing.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory.

After a smooth, well-run campaign, Tsai won 56 percent of the vote, easily besting her nearest rival, the KMT’s Eric Chu, who took 31 percent of the 12 million ballots cast.

“There’s a tendency to think that Xi will have to find someone responsible (for the election result) in the Taiwan Affairs Office”.

Tsai’s policy is a departure from her Democratic Progressive Party predecessor Chen Shui-bian’s priorities.

Mr Wu said in order for people in Taiwan to understand any engagement with mainland China, “we need to handle it in a more transparent way and we also need to have some guiding principles or rules and norms”.

Tsai’s top advisers emphasize that she has avoided confrontation with “big brother” across the Taiwan Strait as well as with the rival KMT and resurgent new parties at home.

“It looks as if China would demand Tsai come out and endorse the ’92 consensus, but there is room for negotiation”, said Huang Jing, a China expert at Singapore National University’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

His party emerged from 2014’s ‘Sunflower Movement, ‘ when scores of student protesters stormed and occupied Taiwan’s Legislature and Cabinet building to object to a trade pact that symbolized Taiwan’s deepening relations with mainland China.

That could foster political instability between China and Taiwan – something that Washington does not wish to see.