In Stunning Rebuke To Beijing, Taiwan’s Pro-Independence President Wins Landslide Re-election

All of that paranoia about Beijing’s meddling in the Taiwanese federal election was apparently for nought. Because Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has officially secured re-election to a second term in office, sending a clear signal to the mainland that voters have endorsed her confrontational approach to dealing with Beijing.

Tsai caught the world’s attention last January when she rebuffed President Xi’s remarks about plans to “re-unify” Taiwan and China by insisting that the Taiwanese people would never willingly accept reunification with Beijing. She also insisted that the threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan was “growing every day.”

Taiwan’s president triumphed over two challengers in Saturday’s election: Han Kuo-yu of the rival Kuomintang, the party of Taiwan’s founder, Nationalist General Chang Kai Shek, and James Soong of the smaller People First Party, according to final vote tallies seen by the Associated Press.

By winning reelection, Tsai as dealt a serious blow to the Kuomintang, which had ruled over Taiwan for most of its history as a quasi-nation independent of the mainland. Han, the KMT candidate, had pushed for friendlier ties with Beijing.

President Tsai casting her vote

President Xi and his fellow Communist leaders have taken an especially hard line against Tsai since her 2016 inauguration. Her refusal to endorse China’s claim that Taiwan is merely a renegade province have infuriated them, prompting Xi to suggest that the mainland could coerce Taiwan’s reunification by force if necessary.

Though, to be sure, the US has a treaty with Taiwan promising aid should such an invasion occur. Beijing has warned foreign powers that if they interfere in its relationship with Taiwan, they, too, will face Beijing’s wrath.

Tsai didn’t just win the election – by taking home nearly 58% of the vote, she waxed both of her opponents in a “landslide” victory.

TAIWAN election results. pic.twitter.com/sXLdVxk8IK

— Dimon Liu (@liu_dimon) January 11, 2020

Big win for President @iingwen & DPP in #Taiwan #elections – interactive election results: https://t.co/eaLhqYXABp pic.twitter.com/2m1ZlxHH60

— Hilde De Weerdt (@hild_de) January 11, 2020

It’s the latest rebuke to Beijing during a period when Hong Kong, the formerly British colony that’s now a Special Autonomous Region of the PRC, is still being rocked by pro-democracy street protests. If anything, the results of Taiwan’s election will encourage the protesters to reach out to others who believe they’re being oppressed by the Communist leaders in Beijing.