Taiwan President Wins Re-election by Landslide in Firm Rebuke to Beijing

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen won a second term by a landslide in the island’s presidential election on Jan. 11, in a victory seen as a rejection of Chinese regime encroachment.

Tsai of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won by a margin of around 20 percent—by more than 2.6 million votes—against her main opponent, Han Kuo-yu of the Kuomingtang (KMT) party.

Supporters of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen celebrate the preliminary results at a rally outside the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan Jan. 11, 2020. (Reuters/Tyrone Siu)

The election is widely viewed as a referendum on whether Taiwan should pursue closer ties with the Chinese regime, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, despite it being a self-ruled island with its own democratically-elected government, military, and currency.

The DPP traditionally advocates for formal independence from mainland China, though Tsai has said she wishes to maintain the status quo. Meanwhile, the KMT favors friendlier ties with the mainland.

The election also took place with the backdrop of ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, marked by growing discontent at the regime’s perceived tightening grip on the city, which protesters say is in violation of Beijing’s pledge to uphold the city’s autonomy under a framework known as “one country, two systems.”

The Chinese regime has proposed that Taiwan could united with the mainland under the same framework.

Loud cheers filled the rally site for Tsai as her supporters waved flags in celebration. Speaking to press, she expressed appreciation to voters.

Taiwan politics is mildly confounding.

The DPP is described as center or center-left (it’s socially liberal at least) and the KMT as Center-right and anti-communist. But it’s the KMT that is friendlier to Beijing, apparently because this is “good for business”.

Leftist westerners online are both praising and attacking Tsai. Some say she is like Trump while others say she beat someone who is like Trump.

“Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)...”

It’s perverse how foreign affairs commentators always use terms like “Progressive”, “Democratic”, and “Liberal” to describe the good guys, but here in the USA, those same words are used to describe the Marxists.

That’s how brainwashing works - they subvert the language by repurposing our words.

Some amazing things going on.

The blow out in Britain.

The blow out in Hong Kong.

Now this in Taiwan.

We can add Trump 2020 in 11 months or so.

Free people are standing up to tyranny with their vote.

Free people are standing up to tyranny with their vote.

The problem is that tyrants don't give a fig for any damned vote.

That's why duly-elected President Trump has been under attack for three long years.

[The DPP is described as center or center-left (it’s socially liberal at least) and the KMT as Center-right and anti-communist. But it’s the KMT that is friendlier to Beijing, apparently because this is “good for business”]

To the extent business-minded KMT defectors move towards the DPP because of their discomfort with the KMT’s China leanings, this will presumably drive the DPP rightward on economic issues. And the KMT will move away from China as its political base evaporates, if the Taiwanese electorate as a whole becomes more adamant about sovereignty.

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