Taiwan president urges China to review policy after election win
15 January, 2020
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen urged China on Wednesday (Jan 15) to review its policy towards the island, days after she won a landslide re-election victory, in a rebuke that could fuel further tensions with China.
"We hope China can understand the opinion and will expressed by Taiwanese people in this election and review their current policies," Tsai told reporters in Taipei. She did not elaborate.
China considers democratic Taiwan its own territory and has tried military threats and economic inducements to get the island to accept its rule. Taiwan says it is an independent country, called the Republic of China, its official name.
Taiwanese voters delivered a stunning rebuke of Beijing's campaign to isolate the self-ruled island and handed its first female leader a second term.
Official results showed Tsai secured 57 per cent of the popular vote with a record-breaking 8.2 million ballots, 1.3 million more than her 2016 victory.
During her victory speech Tsai said she was committed to dialogue with China's leaders and wanted peace.
But she called on Beijing to halt its sabre-rattling towards Taiwan and respect the idea that only the island's 23 million inhabitants can decide its future.
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