Taiwan poll results will not impede reunification
The results of Taiwan’s elections will not impede the inevitable trend of China’s reunification, the Chinese mainland’s Taiwan affairs authority said after the island held its leadership and legislature elections over the past weekend.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Lai Ching-te and his running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim, won the leadership election, receiving about 40 percent of the ballots cast.
In the election to the island’s 113seat legislature, the Chinese Kuomintang party won 52 seats, the DPP seized 51 seats and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) got eight seats. The remaining two went to independent candidates.
Chen Binhua, a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Jan 13 that “the results reveal that the DPP cannot represent the mainstream public opinion on the island”.
Wang Hailiang, director of the Shanghai Institute of East Asia Studies, agreed, adding that while the failure of the non-DPP parties to unite saw the DPP remaining in power against the wishes of the majority, the DPP still lost 2.6 million votes compared with the previous election, barely clinging to power.
“This sharp decline indicates that a significant number of swing voters and young people have abandoned the DPP and chosen the TPP. This represents a notable shift in public opinion,” he said.
Lee Wei-kuo, chairman of the Taipei-based Chinese Youth Trade Development Association, said public sentiment stems from the DPP’s alleged corruption in recent years and the desire for change after eight years of its rule.
“Peaceful cross-Strait development is important, and good relations between the two sides are essential for the well-being of people from both sides,” Lee added.
Analysts said the obvious change in this election is the shift of young and swing voters toward the TPP, which was established in 2019.
Commenting on the election results, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Jan 13 that the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair, and regardless of changes that take place in Taiwan, the basic fact that there is only one China of which Taiwan is a part will not change.
The Chinese government’s position of upholding the one-China principle and opposing “Taiwan independence” separatism, “two Chinas” and “one China, one Taiwan” will not change, the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry firmly opposed the US State Department’s statement on the Taiwan elections after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken extended his congratulations to Lai.
At a news briefing on Jan 15, ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China firmly opposes Washington interfering in Taiwan affairs in any way or under any pretext.
The comment came the same day after a delegation of former US officials met with Taiwan leader Tsai Ingwen and the region’s “president-elect” Lai.
Mao, meanwhile, lauded public remarks made by Russia, Indonesia, South Africa, Hungary and other countries and international organizations that reiterated their adherence to the one-China principle.