Deseret News
Date: Jan 17, 2020
By: Arthur Cyr, Columnist  

President Tsai Ing-wen has been reconfirmed dramatically as leader of the government of Taiwan. The election of Jan. 11 gave her 57.1 percent of the vote, a stunning landslide. She is the first woman to hold this top government position, a milestone of tremendous importance.

This also continues political complications with mainland China. The current governing party, the Democratic Progressive Party, is formally committed to independence from China.

The DPP also retained a majority in the legislature. Ironically, the conservative Kuomintang opposition party has been more comfortable than the DPP with pragmatic cooperation with Beijing.

The government of China predictably has complained bitterly about this latest political development. Current assertiveness of China in maritime and military terms adds teeth to the rhetoric. Beijing has already reduced — but not terminated — trade and tourism.    [FULL  STORY]