13th January, 2024
Taiwan shrugged off pressure from China to elect Lai Ching-te as new President on Saturday in a third consecutive victory for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Ching-te was declared victory on Saturday evening while his two opposition rivals both conceded defeat.
In an X post, Ching-te said “Today, #Taiwan has once again shown the world our people’s commitment to democracy. @bikhim & I are grateful for the trust placed in us.
“Looking forward, we remain committed to upholding peace in the Taiwan Strait and being a force of good in the international community.”
He also added: “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.
Immediately after the election, unhappy Beijing insisted that Taiwan is part of China.
While Beijing has called for “peaceful reunification”, it has also not ruled out the use of force, according to the BBC.
With the voted counted, Ching-te of the DPP received just over 40% of the total votes, according to Taiwan’s Central Election Commission (CEC).