China congratulates voters after Taiwan's ruling party defeats

TAIPEI (Reuters) – China on Sunday hailed the defeat of Taiwan's pro-independence Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) in local elections, saying the people were showing peaceful relations with Beijing.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who is to be reelected in a little over a year, resigned Saturday from his PDP presidency, assuming responsibility for his party's massive defeat in local and county elections.

The PDP has left only control of six cities and counties of Taiwan, against at least 15 for the party of Kuomintang, a party favorable to China. Significantly, he lost one of his most steadfast fortresses, the city of Kaohsiung in the south of the country.

"The results (of the elections) reflected the strong will of the Taiwanese public in its hope of continuing to share the benefits of the peaceful development of relations in the Taiwan Strait, as well as its keen desire to improve the economy. of the island and the well-being of its people, "said a statement from the Taiwan Affairs Bureau in charge of policy development in China and disseminated by the state media.

Since Tsai took office in 2016, China has increased pressure on Taiwan. Suspects, Tsai wishes an official independence, a red line for Beijing that considers Taiwan as his own. Tsai said that she only wanted the status quo, but that she would defend Taiwan's security.

Tensions across the Taiwan Strait have been exacerbated recently, with China organizing military exercises around the island and tearing Taiwan's small number of diplomatic allies.

In the run-up to the elections, Tsai and his government said China was trying to convince voters of "political bullying" and "false news," accusations denied by Beijing.

PDP general secretary Hung Yao-fu asked on Saturday whether the China factor played a role in influencing the elections. He recalled that there was a problem with the "false information".

"I think that this period has been a profound lesson, with regard to false information that spoils the judgment of many people or that does not get clear information," he told reporters.

"It's a global problem, not just Taiwan's unique problem. Faced with this problem and the way to solve it, I think that our party will think and find a way to manage it. "

The electoral tragedy is not over, the candidate for mayor of Kuomintang in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, contests his defeat.

Ting Shou-chung said Sunday that he was contesting the results, which gave a tight victory to the outgoing mayor, Ko Wen-I, independent. The PDP candidate came third.

The Kuomintang once headed China before fleeing to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the Chinese civil war against the communists.

Voters were also asked to vote in a series of referendums, including whether the island was to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as Taiwan, rather than "Taipei." Chinese "- the name was accepted as part of a compromise signed in 1981.

There were not enough votes to make the results valid and, in any case, more people voted against a name change.

The Taiwanese Office of Taiwan Affairs, reacting to this vote, said it showed that "putting the interests of Taiwanese athletes at stake is against the will of the people." "Attempts to" Taiwan's independence "are doomed to failure," he added.

A vote to compete under a Taiwan banner would have angered Beijing, which has never given up the use of force to bring the island under its control.