Chinese President Xi Jinping is struggling to live up to his promise to "unify" China. Photo / AP
Chinese President Xi Jinping is struggling to live up to his promise to "unify" China. Photo / AP
Chinese President Xi Jinping has been dealt a major blow after Taiwan's election.
President Tsai Ing-wen swept to a second four-year term on Saturday with 57 per cent of the vote. Her opponent, Han Kuo-yu, tallied 39 per cent. The results soundly rejected the China-friendly views of his Nationalist Party, which has struggled to adapt to the emergence and evolution of a Taiwanese identity.
The unification of Taiwan with the People's Republic of China (PRC) is a core goal of the Chinese Communist Party.
Under Xi, Beijing has ramped up its efforts to end Taiwan's de facto independence and bring the two nations together – something the majority of Taiwanese people oppose, reports news.com.au.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is struggling to live up to his promise to "unify" China. Photo / AP
Xi has been responsible for Taiwanese affairs in relation to China since at least 2012 and is now in danger of being the person who loses the island.
To take hold of Taiwan before his next run for Party congress in 2022 would be a huge boost. For the West and their allies, it would be a major game changer.
But Beijing's aggressive pressure tactics have backfired in Taiwan, with the island more than ever determined to maintain its democracy.
New Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen celebrates her victory with supporters in Taipei. Photo / AP
At the same time, China's troubles across its borderlands – like Xinjiang, where more than a million Muslims have been detained in camps, or Tibet, where tensions are set to flare as the Chinese Government identifies the next Dalai Lama – bring into question whether Xi can fulfil his goals of unification.
Then there's Hong Kong.
Tsai's election victory follows more than six months of protests against Chinese government interference in the semi-autonomous territory south of China.
Hong Kong residents sent a similar message to Mr Xi with their district elections, which marked a major swing away from pro-China candidates.
"I believe many democratic countries in the world, and many friends in Hong Kong, will feel happy about our collective decision," Ms Tsai said in her victory speech.
The slogan "Today Taiwan, Tomorrow Hong Kong" has sprung up after the landslide win to express the hope that Hong Kong too will one day have full democracy.
Pressure has been building on Tsai's government to speak up more for Hong Kong.
While Taiwan has discreetly extended tourist visas and offered special mid-year intakes for Hong Kong students at some universities, calls have grown to amend the law with special provisions for the territory.
"This election is proof that Xi Jinping's strategy of keeping Hong Kong and Taiwan under control is a total failure," said Leung Man-to, a political-science professor at the National Cheng Kung University in Tainan.
"Taiwan should offer some kind of formal channel for Hong Kong people in exile to seek political asylum … Tsai never dared do anything substantial before, but she could now try to do something new, even if it provokes Beijing."
