Ms Tsai Ing-wen 59,has been elected Taiwan’s first female president. Ms Tsai is the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Ms Tsai defeated Eric Chu of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party. Her Party wants independence from China.
Thouguh China sees the island as a breakaway province , for all practical purposes Taiwan has been independent since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.
In her victory speech, she vowed to preserve the status quo in relations with China, adding Beijing must respect Taiwan’s democracy and both sides must ensure there are no provocations.
”The will of the Taiwanese people would be the basis for relations with China”, Ms Tsai said. The challenge now is for Ms Tsai to find a way to work with China, the island’s biggest export market, trade partner and security threat.
In 2014, hundreds of students occupied the parliament in the largest show of anti-Chinese sentiment on the island for years. Labelled the Sunflower Movement, protesters demanded more transparency in trade pacts negotiated with China.
