Taiwan Presidential Poll: Coal Miner’s Son Lai Ching-Te Emerges Winner
- The people of Taiwan have voted for William Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as President
- Lai Ching-te was announced the winner of the keenly contested election on the evening of Saturday, January 13
- In his victory speech, Lai Ching-te vowed to protect the people of Taiwan and its territory against external forces and the control of China
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Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro
William Lai Ching-te, a member of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), secured victory in the presidential election despite China's warnings against supporting him.
The 64-year-old Harvard graduate, the current vice president, won the Saturday election by pledging to protect Taiwan's democracy and oppose Beijing's territorial claims on the island, France 24 reported.
Source: Getty Images
Lai faced competition from Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang (KMT) and former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je of the recently established Taiwan People's Party (TPP), founded in 2019.
Lai secured 40.2 per cent of the votes in the recent election, as the Central Election Commission reported on Saturday.
Hou, Lai's opponent, gracefully acknowledged his defeat, congratulating Lai on his victory. Hou also apologised to KMT supporters, regretting his inability to displace the DPP.
Additionally, Ko also conceded defeat in the election.
As quoted by Aljazeera, Lai, in his victory speech, said:
“I want to thank the Taiwanese people for writing a new chapter in our democracy. “We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy.”
China, Taiwan relationship
He expressed optimism about restoring constructive and well-organised communication with China, emphasising his wish for mutual respect and equality in discussions.
According to a statement from Chen Binhua, the spokesperson for Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office, as reported by the state news agency Xinhua, he stated that Taiwan is an integral part of China.
He said:
“Our stance on resolving the Taiwan question and realising national ‘reunification’ remains consistent, and our determination is as firm as a rock.”
The announcement expressed China's commitment to the one-China principle and its strong opposition to activities promoting Taiwan's independence and foreign interference.
The electoral outcomes were tabulated from 98 per cent of polling stations island-wide, as per the commission's count.
The results indicated that Hou garnered 33.4 per cent of the vote, trailing behind.
Additionally, voters selected representatives for Taiwan's 113-seat legislature in elections that drew close attention from China and the United States.
US lawmaker calls for probe of UAE tech firm over China ties
Meanwhile, a US legislator has urged the U.S. government to consider imposing trade restrictions on Group 42 Holdings (G42), an artificial intelligence company based in the United Arab Emirates, due to its connections with China.
Mike Gallagher, the Republican leader of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, expressed apprehensions about G42's business partnerships with Chinese military firms, state-owned entities, and intelligence services.
He also highlighted the CEO of G42, Peng Xiao, and his involvement in an extensive network of companies in the UAE and China engaged in developing technologies with both civilian and military applications, some of which are associated with human rights violations.
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Source: Legit.ng
