China reiterated its stance on “reunification” with Taiwan after president-elect William Lai Ching-te won the pivotal election with 40.1 percent of the votes cast. Despite warnings from China not to vote for him, Lai, from the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), emphasized the importance of democracy in his victory speech.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson, Chen Binhua, stated that Taiwan is “China’s Taiwan” and that the DPP “cannot represent the mainstream public opinion on the island”. However, he added that the election “will not impede the inevitable trend of China’s reunification”.
The United States clarified that it does “not support” the independence of Taiwan, while Russia continued to view Taiwan as an integral part of China, upholding the “One China” policy. The European Union welcomed Taiwan’s presidential election and emphasized the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
British Foreign Minister David Cameron congratulated Lai and expressed hope for the peaceful resolution of differences between Taiwan and China. Japan also congratulated the smooth implementation of the democratic election and emphasized the importance of resolving the Taiwan issue peacefully through dialogue.
Canada and Lithuania both congratulated the people of Taiwan, with Lithuania’s minister of foreign affairs celebrating the strength of free and fair democracy in Taiwan.