Tsai Becomes First Taiwanese President in Landslide Vote

After eights years of the Nationalist party controlling the presidency, the Democratic Progressive party candidate Tsai lng-wen obtained the win after a historic one-sided election.

Voters concerned that Taiwan’s economy is under threat from China and broadly opposed to Beijing’s demands for political unification resoundingly chose Tsai over the Nationalists’ Eric Chu, a late replacement in the campaign after his party’s original candidate was seen as alienating voters.

Tsai has walked a careful path on her China strategy but the DPP is traditionally a pro-independence party and opponents say she will destabilize relations.

The Nationalist Party’s Chu has touted to voters the stability in Taiwan-China relations, in light of the first summit talks between Taiwan and China held in November.

“We should all take the same attitude and make it clear to the global community that holding a Taiwan flag is a legitimate expression of national identity”, she said.

Some observers have warned that the trend could create more uncertainties in future cross-strait relations.

Kishida said only that Japan hoped the issues surrounding Taiwan would be “resolved peacefully”.

The landslide victory was driven by anxiety over stagnant wages, high home price and dissatisfaction with President Ma Ying-jeou’s polices of rapprochement with Taiwan’s one-time civil war foes on mainland China.

“When you do as well, as decisively as the DPP has done, there are no excuses” for failure, Diamond said.

“If China could move towards democracy, the chances of Taiwan reunifying with the mainland will (be) greater”, said Tung Chen-yuan, Professor of Political Science at the National Chengchi University. However, her win will introduce new uncertainties in the complicated relationship between Taiwan and mainland China.

She pledged to maintain the status quo with China, saying both sides have a responsibility to find a mutually acceptable means of interacting, while adding that Taiwan’s worldwide space must be respected.

Analysts also agree there will not be any immediate backlash from China as alienating Taiwan would play against Beijing’s ultimate aim of reunification.

She will have to balance the superpower interests of China, also Taiwan’s largest trading partner, and the United States with those of her freewheeling, democratic home.

Beijing has 1,000 ballistic missiles facing the island nation from across the Taiwan Strait and has repeatedly vowed to use military force against any attempts at independence.

Immediately after the DPP’s victory was announced on Saturday, Chinese censorship authorities removed Tsai from the Weibo social network and tried to block other online references to the newly elected president.