Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te: How China, US and Russia reacted to his election
Taiwan elections 2024: Lai Ching-te, candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP), won the Taiwan election held on Saturday, January 13. Both China and the United States reacted sharply to the latest polls as the DPP secured unprecedented third consecutive term in the nation. Taiwan's election took place at a time of growing geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington.
China claims Taiwan as its own. But Lai's party rejects China's territorial claims. It is speculated that Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te may have to deal with the ire of China which has repeatedly denounced him as a "dangerous separatist".
China said on Saturday "reunification" with Taiwan was still "inevitable" after president-elect Lai Ching-te won the pivotal election on the self-ruled island, AFP reported. The election "will not impede the inevitable trend of China's reunification", Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua said in a statement published by state news agency Xinhua. The spokesperson was quoted as saying that the vote "will not change the basic landscape and development trend of cross-Strait relations".
He said Beijing "firmly oppose(s) the separatist activities aimed at 'Taiwan independence' as well as foreign interference". Chen Binhua said the results did not “represent mainstream public opinion on the island" of 23 million people. ALSO READ: Taiwan ruling party's candidate Lai Ching-te wins presidential election China strongly opposes Lai.
Read more on livemint.com
