Beijing, China – The recent elections in Taiwan have revealed that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) does not represent the majority viewpoint on the island, according to Chen Binghua, the official representative of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China. “Today’s elections in the Taiwanese region have shown that the DPP does not reflect the main opinion on the island. Taiwan is part of China,” he said. Chen Binghua also noted that the voting will not change the key direction of development between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, nor will it halt the overall trend of “reunification of the motherland.” He added that China’s position on resolving this issue is consistent and its will is “as firm as a rock.” The official stated that Beijing will resolutely oppose actions aimed at achieving Taiwan’s independence and interference by external forces. However, he emphasized that China is willing to promote peaceful development of relations with Taipei. According to him, China intends to work with political parties and all sectors of Taiwanese society to promote exchanges and cooperation. Chen Binghua also highlighted Beijing’s readiness to interact in promoting Chinese culture.
The head of the administration and legislators of the Legislative Yuan were elected in Taiwan on Saturday. According to the Central Election Commission, voter turnout was 69.8 percent, with 19.5 million people eligible to vote. A total of 17,795 polling stations were set up on the island. The new head of the administration of the island is Tsai Ing-wen, the chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party who advocates for Taiwan’s independence. He received 40.05 percent of the votes. The second place was taken by the candidate from the opposition party, the Kuomintang, Han Kuo-yu, who supports gradual dialogue with the mainland. He was supported by 33.4 percent of the island’s residents. In turn, the chairperson of the Taiwan People’s Party, Ko Wen-je, who is open to contacts with Beijing and the US while maintaining the status quo and the established way of life in Taiwan, received 26.45 percent of the votes. The inauguration of the election winner is scheduled for May 20, 2024. However, the DPP lost 11 seats in the Legislative Yuan as a result of the elections. The political force now holds 51 seats in parliament. In contrast, the opposition Kuomintang has 52 seats, and the Taiwan People’s Party has eight. Furthermore, for the first time since 2004, none of the parties won a parliamentary majority, which requires a minimum of 57 seats.
