Tsai Ing-wen wins 2016 Taiwan leadership election

World Today

Tsai Ing-wenTsai Ing-wen of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party has won 2016 Taiwan leadership election.

Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen has won Taiwan’s leadership election becoming the region’s first female leader.

Eric Chu, candidate of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT), has conceded defeat in the polls. Chu also announced that he would resign as KMT chairman. Tsai secured almost 60 percent of the votes compared to Chu’s 30 percent.

After her win, Tsai said she would strive to maintain stability in relations with the Chinese mainland.

Responding to the election results in Taiwan, the Chinese mainland’s State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office responded on Saturday evening that Chinese mainland will continue to uphold the 1992 Consensus and strongly oppose any forms of “Taiwan independence”.

The office said the Chinese mainland’s policy toward Taiwan is consistent and clear, and will not change because of the election results in Taiwan.