AFP News
Taiwan asks China to ‘face reality’ after general election
Taiwan on Sunday called on China to “face reality” and respect the election results after voters ignored Beijing’s warnings and chose pro-sovereignty candidate Lai Ching-de as president. Voters rejected repeated attempts by the Chinese government to vote for Mr. Lai, resulting in a comfortable victory for China. Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control, reacted to Lai’s victory and said it has no intention of changing the “inevitable trend of China’s unification” said. Lai, a member of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DP), has vowed to protect the island from China’s “intimidation,” and on Sunday the island’s foreign ministry told the Chinese government to accept the outcome. ” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on authorities in Beijing to respect this statement. “In order to get positive cross-strait exchanges back on track, we must face the election results, face reality, and abandon our oppression of Taiwan,” the statement said. The country’s government said in a statement after an election campaign marked by diplomatic pressure from Beijing and near-daily Chinese incursions. Mr Lai, who pilots a fighter jet, on Saturday defeated his closest rival, Hou Yuxi of the Kuomintang Party (KMT), by more than 900,000 votes. In his victory speech, Mr Lai, 64, congratulated voters for refusing to be swayed by the efforts of “external forces”. He said he wanted to work with China, Taiwan’s biggest trading partner, to maintain peace and stability, but he vowed not to be intimidated by China’s belligerent attitude. According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, four Chinese naval vessels were sighted in waters surrounding Taiwan on voting day, and one high-altitude balloon passed by. In the days leading up to the election, China warned Taiwanese voters: If Mr. Lai makes the “right choice,” he will bring Taiwan closer to war. Mr. Lai will take office on May 20th, along with Mr. Hsiao Bi-kim (former Taiwan representative to the United States), whom he nominated as vice president. Both Mr. Lai and Mr. Xiao said the 72% turnout showed voter enthusiasm, and on Sunday, voter Tsai Jinhui said the Chinese government should care about itself. “What China thinks is China’s problem.” “We are electing our country’s president,” the 62-year-old taxi driver told AFP. “We believe that one day the world will recognize Taiwan as an independent and sovereign nation.” The United States and Britain congratulated Mr. Lai on his victory. Meanwhile, the EU welcomed the successful conduct of the elections. – Continuity – World powers want as much stability as possible between China and Taiwan, especially since Taiwan plays an important role in the global economy. The Taiwan Strait is one of the world’s most important maritime trade arteries, and the island itself is a major technology manufacturer of particularly important semiconductors, the tiny chips used in everything from smartphones to missile systems. Mr. Yori and the Democratic Party have toned down their calls for independence. Taiwan does not need a formal declaration because it is already de facto independent and protects the island’s sovereignty. But China still sees it as moving too close to the Communist giant’s red line, the “I-word.” The Chinese government cut off official contact with current Democratic Progressive Party President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016, and relations with Lai are expected to remain frosty over the next four years. Bonnie Glaser, a Taiwan and China expert at the German Marshall Fund in the US, wrote in an analysis: “Although this will disappoint China, it is unlikely that China’s unification strategy will change in the short term.” ‘ said in an analysis article. The future will determine whether China decides to simply respond diplomatically and rhetorically to the election, or launches into a large-scale show of force. A possible flashpoint would be a planned visit by an unofficial U.S. delegation announced by a senior presidential official to President Joe Biden’s administration in the days after the election. Like most countries, Washington does not formally recognize Taiwan, but it maintains close unofficial ties and is a major arms supplier to Taiwan. Then-Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan. In 2022, China was furious and launched the largest military exercise in its history involving warships, missiles, and fighter jets around the island. Further down the line, there is a possibility that Donald Trump may return to the White House, and Lai’s appointment as president may be affected by the US presidential election in November. A very different outlook from Biden.bur-pdw/dhc/kma