Mr Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has become President of Taiwan.
Mr Lai was facing two opponents for the presidency – Mr Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) was the first to admit defeat at around 8pm. Shortly afterwards, Dr Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) did the same.
According to unofficial figures from local broadcaster TVBS, which counted more than 13.5 million votes as of 8.20pm, the 64-year-old candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, Lai Ching-te, is leading the presidential election with more than 2.4 million votes.
This is a result that is likely to exacerbate tensions in cross-Strait relations and affect regional security.
In the run-up to the election, China repeatedly denounced Mr Lai as a dangerous separatist and rejected his repeated calls for talks.
Mr Lai, for his part, claims that he is totally committed to preserving peace in the Taiwan Strait and strengthening the island’s defences.
On the morning of January 13, Taiwan’s defence ministry said it had again spotted Chinese balloons crossing the strait, one of which flew over Taiwan itself. The ministry condemned the series of reports of balloons over the strait over the past month as psychological warfare and a threat to aviation safety.
Mr Lai’s DPP party, which favours Taiwan’s autonomy and rejects China’s territorial claims, sought election for a third term, unprecedented under Taiwan’s current electoral system.
