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A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 27 November 2018

Analysis: Strong opposition showing challenges Taiwan's Tsai

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN ties than in the past, while
Associated Press disparities in income are
BEIJING (AP) — A strong growing.
showing by Taiwan's op- China's best option would
position Nationalist Party be to stay low-key, since
in local elections over the increased hostility could
weekend presents a ma- build resentment and shore
jor challenge to indepen- up support for Tsai ahead
dence-leaning President of the 2020 election, Liu
Tsai Ing-wen as she grap- said.
ples with growing econom- "To play the friendly card
ic, political and military is the best way to win the
pressure from rival China. people's heart. If China
While Saturday's polls were continues to suppress Tai-
largely decided by local pei, it will produce a coun-
concerns, Beijing cast a ter-effect," he said.
heavy shadow after two Elsewhere over the week-
years of unrelenting efforts end, voters in China's semi-
to restrict Taiwan's partici- autonomous region of
pation in international soci- Hong Kong elected a pro-
ety and advertise its threat establishment politician to
to use force to bring the is- the legislature in a by-elec-
land under its control. tion called after the incum-
Tsai's Democratic Progres- bent was ejected from the
sive Party lost power in In this Nov. 24, 2018, file photo, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, center, speaks to journalists body for "improper oath
its southern stronghold of after a vote in local elections in New Taipei City, Taiwan. taking," one of six pro-de-
Kaohsiung, while the Na- Associated Press mocracy legislators ousted
tionalists notched up 15 soundly defeating his DPP swiftly, saying the elections ited markets at home. on that charge.
wins in the 22 major races rival, and seemed to galva- — along with referendums Tsai resigned as DPP head Chan Hoi-yan's sizable vic-
being contested. nize opposition to the status on topics such as same- on Saturday once the elec- tory in the Kowloon West
Independent Ko Wen-je quo under Tsai. While his sex marriage and Taiwan's tion results came in and constituency ends the op-
appeared to have won re- candidacy received little name used at the Olym- now faces a considerably position's hopes of regain-
election in Taipei, the capi- initial support from the par- pics — were an "internal af- more hostile landscape as ing veto power in the as-
tal, although his Nationalist ty establishment, Han rode fair whose results testified to she contemplates running sembly and continues to
rival Ting Shou-chung has a wave of grass-roots sup- the mature development for re-election in 2020. Bei- reduce the influence of the
filed for a recount. The DPP port and went on to stump of Taiwan's democracy." jing has shown no sign of pro-democracy camp that
won just six major races. for other Nationalist candi- "This lies at the core of Tai- easing the pressure on her has been shrinking since
Analysts and local media dates, adding momentum wan's democratic values, administration and is ex- widespread 2014 demon-
cited dissatisfaction with to the Nationalists' sweep. which Beijing should re- pected to begin wooing strations fizzled out with little
Tsai and the DPP rather Although China claims Tai- spect and correctly under- the more China-friendly result.
than approval for the Na- wan as its own territory, it stand," the Mainland Affairs election victors such as China took control of the
tionalists, also known as the had largely withheld overt- Council said on its website. Han and the Nationalists' former British colony in 1997
KMT, as a prime reason for ly intervening in the elec- "The only correct way to ad- Taichung mayor-elect, Lu under a system whereby it
the outcome. tions despite accusations vance prosperity between Shiow-yen. was to retain its own eco-
"Rather than thinking that of spreading disinforma- the people of the two sides Tsai's efforts at reforming the nomic, legal and political
Saturday's results were be- tion. China has sought to and eliminate differences government and economy systems for 50 years under
cause the KMT did a good isolate Tsai over her refusal is through communication have also encountered Beijing's overall guidance.
job in opposition, it is more to endorse its "one China" and exchanges without headwinds, particularly her The disqualification of pro-
accurate to say they were principle that designates political preconditions," the push to reduce generous democracy candidates
due to voters' overwhelm- Taiwan as a part of China. council said. civil service pensions. and demands for loyalty to
ingly negative perception However, a spokesman The true impact of China's "The election results are a China's ruling Communist
of the DPP," Eric Yu of Na- on Sunday was quick to pressure campaign was dif- major warning to Tsai's gov- Party are undermining con-
tional Chengchi University's cite the election results as ficult to gauge. Taiwanese erning team," said Frank fidence in the "one coun-
Election Study Center was evidence that Taiwanese voters are notoriously capri- Cheng-shan Liu, a profes- try, two systems" framework
quoted as saying in the Tai- were becoming fed up cious, often changing sides sor at National Sun Yat Sen that has also been offered
pei Times on Monday. with Tsai's approach. based on their feelings to- University in Kaohsiung, to Taiwan, said Ivan Choy,
Another factor cited was The outcome "reflected the ward a particular candi- who predicted increased a professor of government
the Nationalists' Han Kuo- strong will of the public in date, rather than over prin- friction within the DPP and and public administration
yu, who ended 20 years of Taiwan to share the benefits ciple or policy. While the greater difficulty in pushing at the Chinese University of
DPP rule in Kaohsiung by Hong Kong.
of peaceful development vast majority favor main- Tsai's reform agenda.
across the Taiwan Straits, taining Taiwan's de facto However, Liu said the results That has produced a "neg-
and their desire to improve independent status — as had far less to do with Tsai's ative example" for Taiwan
the island's economy and Tsai has done — they are refusal to recognize the in terms of faith in China's
people's well-being," Ma also deeply concerned "one China" principle than promises and enthusiasm
Xiaoguang, spokesman for about falling behind Chi- with dissatisfaction over for unification with the
the Cabinet's Taiwan Affairs na in the financial stakes, economic growth. While mainland, Choy said.
Office, was quoted as say- as working on the main- expected to grow at a rel- "The deteriorating situa-
ing by China's official Xin- land has become an ever- atively healthy pace of 2.6 tion of the human right
hua News Agency. more appealing option for percent this year, Taiwan's and freedom in Hong Kong
The office's Taiwanese young Taiwanese facing high-tech economy is gen- would build up a negative
counterpart fired back wage stagnation and lim- erating fewer opportuni- demonstration effect to
Taiwan," he said.q