Lai Ching-te Elected Taiwan’s President Despite China’s Threats

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

TAIPEI/BEIJING (Worthy News) – Voters in Taiwan elected pro-Western Lai Ching-te as the island’s next president despite China’s threat to intervene militarily.

The 64-year-old Lai, described as a “dangerous separatist” by Beijing, was a former doctor who had served as vice president to Tsai Ing-wen since 2020.

Lai said Saturday’s election result showed Taiwan will “continue to walk side by side with democracies around the world” and stressed that the outcome highlighted the Taiwanese people’s desire to protect their democratic life.

“This is a night that belongs to Taiwan. We managed to keep Taiwan on the map of the world,” Lai told thousands of jubilant supporters at a rally after his win.

“The election has shown the world the commitment of the Taiwanese people to democracy, which I hope China can understand,” he added.

China responded soon after the vote by saying, “Taiwan is part of China.” Lai’s running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim, who recently served as Taiwan’s top envoy to the United States, was elected Vice President.

Lai – the candidate of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) – received just over 40 percent of the total votes, according to Taiwan’s Central Election Commission (CEC).

OPPOSITION RESULTS

Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party candidate, Hou Yu-ih, garnered 33.49 percent of the votes, while Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) candidate Ko Wen-je, the former mayor of Taipei, received 26.45 percent.

More than 14 million people participated, meaning that the voter turnout was just over 71 percent, officials said.

However, China’s defense ministry vowed to “crush” any move towards independence of the democratically ruled island. China views Taiwan, separated from China by the Taiwan Strait, as its own territory.

Ahead of the elections, Chinese balloons endangered aviation, Taiwan said, after earlier Chinese fighter jets and military vessels were spotted near the island.

Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Saturday morning it had again spotted Chinese balloons crossing the sensitive strait, one of which flew over Taiwan itself.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged China to maintain “peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.”

STRENGTHENING TIES

Under the shadow of Chinese threats, the DPP “has strengthened ties with the United States and European democracies,” James Crabtree, a visiting fellow of the influential European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) think tank.

Beijing would much prefer a return for the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and its leader Hou Yu-ih, who has accused his rivals of needlessly seeking conflict with China, he added.

“China fears that a re-elected DPP administration under Lai would move to support formal independence for Taiwan, a step Beijing threatens to prevent with military action. Lai denies this and has promised continuity with the moderate policies of incumbent Tsai Ing-wen.”

China’s President Xi Jinping suggested, however, that his patience is running out and described the “reunification” of China and Taiwan as a “historical inevitability.”

He was reported to have delivered similarly blunt remarks in private to U.S. President Joe Biden at their recent Sino-US summit.

“China is likely to test the incoming government, especially if the DPP wins. Recent months have seen a steady increase in “grey-zone” activity pressuring Taipei via increased naval and air patrols, as well as flying unmanned balloons and a satellite over the island,” well-informed Crabtree said.

BEIJING SANCTIONS

In December, Beijing also threatened renewed trade sanctions, and an uptick in similar pressure is likely in the first half of 2024 in advance of the new president’s inauguration in May.

Heightened tensions over Taiwan pose complex questions for Washington as it seeks to de-escalate its tensions with China.

U.S. policymakers say they prefer a returned DPP administration — “but many worry in private that Lai might adopt a more confrontational tone with Beijing, when compared to Tsai, thus complicating Sino-US ties,” Crabtree explained.

Europe also faces internal divisions in Taiwan. Some European nations back much stronger support for Taipei. Others agree with French President Macron, who cautioned against following American policies that they believe might raise the risk of conflict with China.

Europeans are cautious, too, with ECFR polling released last June suggesting that 62 percent of polled Europeans wanted “to stay neutral in any future conflict.”

Europe needs “to develop a more unified position on Taiwan” and to explain this to Europeans, Crabtree argued. “European leaders should take a less fearful approach to diplomacy with Taipei, recognizing that they have a legitimate role in offering support in the face of coercion and threats of military action.”

TAIWAN POLICY

European nations, he stressed, “need to coordinate much more closely over their Taiwan policy not just with the U.S. but also with close partners in the Indo-Pacific, such as Australia and Japan,” he said.

“Getting that balance right will be a major test of Europe’s Indo-Pacific strategy over the coming 12 months,” the analyst added.

Despite threats from China, Taiwan has been a democratic success story since holding its first direct presidential election in 1996 following decades of struggle against authoritarian rule and martial law, observers explained.

Speaking to media in the southern city of Tainan before voting, Lai encouraged people to cast their ballots. “Every vote is valued, as this is Taiwan’s hard-earned democracy,” he stressed.

The president-elect said he is committed to preserving peace across the Taiwan Strait while boosting the island’s defenses.

Voters agree. “Nobody wants war,” Jennifer Lu, 36, a businesswoman, told reporters while playing on a grass pitch with her daughter after casting a ballot on a sunny morning in Taipei’s Songshan district.

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