Candidate for the presidential election of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), decried by China as a “serious danger” due to his positions in favor of independence, Lai Ching-te came first in the Taiwanese presidential election which took place on Saturday January 13, with 40.2% of the votes, according to almost final official results, covering 98% of polling stations.
His main opponent, Hou Yuh-ih, candidate of the main opposition party in Taiwan, the Kuomintang (KMT), in favor of a rapprochement with China, immediately conceded defeat. “I respect the final decision of the Taiwanese people” And “I congratulate Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Bi-khim [sa colistière, candidate à la vice-présidence] for their election, hoping that they will not disappoint the expectations of the Taiwanese people”, declared the latter to his supporters. According to the Central Election Commission’s count, he received 33.2% of the votes.
The third presidential candidate, Ko Wen-je, 64, candidate of the small Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) who presents himself as anti-establishment, was placed last with 25.3% of the vote.
The island’s approximately 18,000 polling stations closed at 4 p.m. (9 a.m. in Paris) in this territory of 23 million inhabitants located 180 kilometers from the Chinese coast, hailed as a model of democracy in Asia but including Beijing claims sovereignty. The Taiwanese also voted on Saturday to renew the 113 seats in Parliament, where the DPP could lose its majority.
Threats from Beijing to “crush” any desire for independence
Aged 64, Lai Ching-te was described by Beijing as “serious danger” because of his past comments in favor of the independence of the island and his fight for it to maintain its autonomy from China.
At the dawn of the election, Beijing called on voters to ” The good choice “ and the Chinese army promised to” crush “ any desire to” independence “. “The Chinese People’s Liberation Army maintains high vigilance at all times and will take all necessary measures to firmly crush attempts at “Taiwan independence” in any form.”declared the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Defense, Zhang Xiaogang, at the dawn of the election.
All week, China has also increased its diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan. On Thursday, five Chinese balloons crossed the median line separating the autonomous island from its territory, according to the Taiwanese defense ministry, which also spotted ten planes and six warships.
On Saturday, journalists from Agence France-Presse also observed a Chinese fighter jet over the town of Pingtan, the closest to Taiwan. And on the Chinese social network Weibo, the hashtag “Election in Taiwan” was blocked in the morning.
The status of Taiwan is one of the most explosive topics in the rivalry between China and the United States, the territory’s primary military supporter, and Washington plans to send a “informal delegation” on the island after the vote.
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