Lai Ching-te, labelled as China’s ‘troublemaker’, wins Taiwan Presidential elections

Lai Ching-te, the leader of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), won Taiwan’s presidential elections on Saturday.

The DPP champions Taiwan’s separate identity and rejects China’s territorial claims and Beijing had repeatedly denounced Lai as a dangerous separatist.

Lai, the current vice president, was facing two opponents for the presidency – Hou Yu-ih of Taiwan’s largest opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT) and former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je of the small Taiwan People’s Party, only founded in 2019. Both conceded defeat, reported news agency Reuters.

The election held on Saturday was framed as a choice between war and peace by China. In the run-up to the elections, the opposition party, Kuomintang, warned voters that choosing Lai Ching-te could lead to unrest. Lai, on the other hand, said he is committed to preserving peace and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and boosting the island’s defences. He also pledged to try to engage with China.

Before Saturday’s election, Taiwan accused China of an unprecedented campaign of poll interference after Beijing threatened new trade measures against the island. Lai had told reporters the election would serve as a “testament to our commitment to democracy”, adding that China’s alleged interference in this election was the “most serious” yet.