Taiwanese people voted for William Lai to be their president in a very important election. This shows that Taiwan is going in a different direction from China.
Beijing is probably going to be upset because they think Mr Lai causes problems with his beliefs about independence.
China says that it controls Taiwan, even though Taiwan governs itself. While it wants the two sides to come together peacefully, it’s also willing to use force if necessary.
It said the Taiwan election was about choosing between “war and peace”.
Beijing’s government doesn’t like Mr Lai’s DPP party, which has been in charge of Taiwan for eight years. China has increased its military around the island, making people more worried about a possible fight.
Mr Lai won his party a third term in the presidency, which has never happened before. In his first comments after his opponents admitted defeat, he indicated that this was a path that could not be changed.
The country will keep moving in the right direction. “We won’t focus on the past,” he told the journalists in a press conference.
Later, Lai spoke to a large crowd in Taipei and said that his win was a victory for democracy.
“We did it. ” We didn’t allow outside forces to impact our election. “Because we decided that only we can pick our president,” he said. Before the election, Taiwan said that China tried to meddle in the voting.
But Mr Lai also had something to say to China.
He told reporters that he prefers talking and exchanging ideas instead of causing problems and fighting, and he wants peace and stability with Beijing.
He said he will keep things the way they are between Taiwan and China and protect Taiwan from any danger from China.
In the past, Mr Lai said he wanted Taiwan to be separate from China, which made China very upset. But now he says if he becomes president, he won’t try to make it happen.
Mr Lai got 40% of the vote, which is more than Hou Yu-ih from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party. Since 2000, Taiwan has switched back and forth between the DPP and the KMT, which is more friendly towards Beijing.
Newcomer politician Ko Wen-je from the Taiwan People’s Party, who is liked by young voters, got 25% of the vote.
On Saturday, people picked their lawmakers. According to Taiwanese media, the DPP no longer has the most seats in parliament. The opposition is growing stronger, but no single party has enough seats to control the parliament.
Some people think that if the opposition party controls the legislature and the DPP president is in charge, it could make governing Taiwan more difficult.
Tag: William Lai
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William Lai elected president of Taiwan in historic poll
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Taiwan won’t be deterred by China’s threats – William Lai
Taiwan’s vice president and potential presidential candidate declared on Sunday while travelling through the United States that his country will never capitulate in the face of escalating Chinese threats, contradicting Beijing’s criticism of his visit.
William Lai, a front-runner in the Taiwanese presidential election in January, stopped in New York on his way to Paraguay, where he will be present for the country’s new president’s inauguration on Tuesday.
Only 13 nations, including this one from South America, have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that China’s ruling Communist Party claims as its own despite never having had any kind of control over it.
Lai framed Taiwan’s long-term survival as something the world community should be concerned about in an address to supporters at a luncheon banquet in New York.
“When Taiwan is safe, the world is safe, and when there is peace on the Taiwan Strait, there will be world peace,” Lai reportedly remarked, according to Taiwan’s presidential office.
“No matter how great the threat of authoritarianism is to Taiwan, we absolutely will not be scared nor cower, and we will uphold the values of democracy and freedom.”
Lai made his remarks after the Chinese foreign ministry denounced his visit and referred to him as a “trouble maker through and through.”
China, it was stated, vehemently opposes any official contact between the US and Taiwan as well as any “‘Taiwan independence’ separatists to the US.”
Lai’s transits, which include a stop in San Francisco on his way back on Wednesday, have been described as usual by both Taiwan and the US.
A senior administration source told CNN on July 16 that such transits were “fairly common” and that they were “unofficial, in keeping with our US One China policy.”
In January 2022, Lai last travelled via the US.
Lai, 63, is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is in power, and is noted for being more overtly pro-independence. This group is known as the “deep green” camp.
Former physician turned politician with a Harvard education has described himself in the past as a “pragmatic worker for Taiwanese independence.”
Beijing, which has not renounced the use of force to capture the self-governing island, has grown particularly hostile to him as a result.
But after obtaining the DPP nomination, Lai has changed his stance on China.
Beijing has increased economic, diplomatic, and military pressure on Taiwan under the direction of Xi Jinping, particularly in the wake of President Tsai Ing-wen’s 2016 victory and subsequent election to a second term in office in 2020.
Tsai is ineligible to run for a third term under Taiwan’s constitution.
In January, Taiwan will hold elections that might have a significant impact on world relations at a time when Xi’s potential to fulfil his promise to “reunite” the island with China is being closely watched.
The Kuomintang, a political group that was originally the Chinese Communist Party’s fiercest foe but has subsequently changed to support far closer ties with Beijing, is the DPP’s historical rival.
Since the US and the government of Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations, travel by Taiwanese officials to the US is referred to as “transits” rather than “visits” because the stopovers are part of an unofficial trip en route to another location.
Despite Beijing’s warnings and threats, Taiwan’s President Tsai visited California in March and spoke with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. China began three days of live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan after Tsai’s tour.
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China not happy as Taiwan’s vice president intends to visit New York
Taiwan’s vice president and presidential candidate William Lai‘s passage through the United States was denounced by China’s foreign ministry on Sunday, branding him a “troublemaker through and through.”
Lai arrived in New York on Saturday before travelling to Paraguay, where he will be present for Santiago Pena’s inauguration as president on August 15. The only diplomatic ally of Taiwan in South America is Paraguay.
Lai claimed in a statement posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he was “happy to arrive” in New York, calling it a “icon of liberty, democracy, and opportunities.”
Officials from the US government stated that they anticipated Lai’s arrival to go “without incident.”
A senior administration source told CNN on July 16 that such transits were “fairly common” and that they were “unofficial, in keeping with our US One China policy.”
In January 2022, Lai last travelled via the US.
Despite never having had authority over it, Taiwan is nevertheless claimed by China’s ruling Communist Party, which has also maintained its intention to seize the autonomous island by force.
The Chinese foreign ministry quickly after Lai’s arrival declared that it “firmly opposes” any formal contact between the US and Taiwan as well as any “‘Taiwan independence’ separatists to the US.”
China issued a statement saying, “China regrets and strongly condemns the US decision to organise the so-called’stopover.
Lai obstinately maintains his separatist stance for “Taiwan independence.” He is a troublemaker from the inside out,” it went on.
Additionally, the ministry stated that Taiwan was the “core of the core interests of China” and encouraged the US to uphold the one-China concept, adding that it was “closely following” developments and “would take resolute and strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Since the US and the government of Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations, travel by Taiwanese officials to the US is referred to as “transits” rather than “visits” because the stopovers are part of an unofficial trip en route to another location.
According to Taiwan’s vice foreign minister Alexander Yui, Lai is scheduled to pass through San Francisco on August 16 on his way back to Taipei.