Lai Ching-te elected as new president of Taiwan, what it means for ties with China

NEW DELHI: Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was on Saturday elected as the new president of Taiwan, an outcome that is likely to spark fury from Beijing, which has previously referred to Lai as a "dangerous separatist" and a "troublemaker".

Lai succeeds Taiwan's first female leader, Tsai Ing-wen, who is reviled by China for standing up for the island’s autonomy.

Lai has pledged to continue Tsai’s cross-strait policies, including Taiwan’s right to self-determination in the face of China’s claim that the island is its territory.

China shrugs off results
Reacting to the election results, Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua said the vote "will not impede the inevitable trend of China's reunification", adding that the results of the vote show that the DPP "cannot represent the mainstream public opinion on the island".

Chen added that the vote "will not change the basic landscape and development trend of cross-Strait relations".

Beijing's stance on "realising national reunification remains consistent, and our determination is as firm as rock," he said, adding that Beijing "firmly oppose(s) the separatist activities aimed at 'Taiwan independence' as well as foreign interference".

The election was watched closely by both Beijing and Washington, Taiwan's main military partner, as the two powers tussle for influence in the strategically vital region.

In a New Year's address, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the "unification" of Taiwan with China was "inevitable".
'Will safeguard Taiwan from China'

In his victory speech, Lai said he is "determined to safeguard Taiwan from threats and intimidation from China but that his primary responsibility is to maintain peace and stability".

Vowing to use dialogue to replace confrontation, Lai thanked supporters for showing the world how much Taiwan cherishes democracy.


Like Tsai, Lai plans to maintain tight links to the US, which supplies most of the island’s weapons, and build more ties with democracies in Europe and elsewhere.

Tsai was unable to seek re-election due to term limits after winning in 2016 and 2020.
Tough times ahead for Taiwan-China ties

Lai has now been given the unenviable task of navigating delicate relationships with two superpowers, China and US, who are increasingly asserting their dominance in the region with President Xi Jinping repeatedly saying that unification of Taiwan with mainland China is "inevitable".


Lai, who trained as a doctor and served as mayor of the southern city of Tainan, once called himself a “pragmatic worker for Taiwanese independence”, a phrase that angered Beijing and raised concerns in Washington about his ability to manage relations with China.

The 64-year-old has since softened his stance, and is open to talks with China — on an equal footing.

Will not settle for fake peace: Lai
While successive Chinese Communist leaders have vowed to eventually achieve "reunification", Xi has repeatedly said the Taiwan issue "should not be passed down generation after generation," linking the mission to his mid-century goal of "national rejuvenation."

Though Beijing has labelled Lai a "dangerous separatist", the new Taiwanese president has said he will maintain the status quo and pursue peace through strength.

"Peace is priceless and war has no winners," Lai told reporters in a press conference in which he appeared alongside his vice presidential running mate Hsiao Bi-khim.

However, "accepting China's one-principle proposition is not true peace," Lai said. "Peace without sovereignty is just like Hong Kong. It is fake peace".

Lai has stressed he will continue the policy direction of incumbent president Tsai Ing-wen and Taiwan will continue to build up its defence deterrence amid geopolitical tensions. "The pursuit of peace relies on strength, not the goodwill of the aggressor," Lai said, vowing to bolster Taiwan's military and economic strength.

(With inputs from agencies)