World Congratulates Taiwan on Presidential Election

Supporters of Taiwan People's Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je wait for the results of the presidential election at the TPP headquarters in Xinzhuang in New Taipei City on Jan. 13, 2024. I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images

The United States and other democracies around the world on Saturday offered congratulations to Taiwan, after Vice President Lai Ching-te won the presidential election amid pressures from Beijing.

“The United States congratulates Dr. Lai Ching-te on his victory in Taiwan’s presidential election. We also congratulate the Taiwan people for once again demonstrating the strength of their robust democratic system and electoral process,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement issued shortly after Mr. Lai delivered his victory speech.

Defying warnings from China’s communist regime, voters in Taiwan chose Mr. Lai, who Beijing has labeled as a “separatist,” as their next president on Saturday. His main opposition rival, Hou Yu-ih of the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang, conceded shortly after 8 p.m. local time.

With almost all of the polling places reporting, Mr. Lai claimed 40 percent of votes, with Mr. Hou at 33 percent, Taiwan’s Central Election Commission said.

Responding to Mr. Lai’s victory, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he would work with chairs of relevant congressional bodies to send a delegation to Taipei for Mr. Lai’s inauguration ceremony in May.

“To underscore the ongoing commitment of Congress to security and democracy, I will be asking the chairs of the relevant House Committees to lead a delegation to Taipei following Lai’s inauguration in May,” he said in a statement.

“I am hopeful the United States and Taiwan together will continue promoting the principles of liberty, opportunity and security for all freedom-loving countries and our partners in the Indo-Pacific.”

Biden’s Reaction

President Joe Biden was asked by reporters about the reaction to Taiwan’s election on Saturday. “We do not support independence,” he said.

The United States, like most countries, has no formal ties with Taiwan, but it is the island’s most important international backer and arms provider.

Mr. Blinken stated that Washington is “committed to maintaining cross-Strait peace and stability, and the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure.”

In his victory speech, Mr. Lai expressed willingness to resume dialogues with Taiwan’s neighbor, China, whose ruling Communist Party views the self-ruled democracy as its own territory and has never ruled out the use of force.

“As long as there is dignity and parity between two sides of the street, Taiwan is very willing to engage in dialogues with China,” he said during Saturday’s press conference outside his campaign headquarters in Taipei.

Beijing has frozen formal contact with Taipei and tried to isolate the island on the international stage since Tsai Ing-wen won the presidential election in 2016. Amid the pressure from Beijing, the Tsai administration has forged closer ties with the United States and other democracies in the world.

Mr. Lai said he would follow the path of Ms. Tsai, seeking to maintain the status quo of the Taiwan Strait. But at the same time, Mr. Lai emphasized that he was “determined to safeguard Taiwan from threats and intimidation from China.”

China Response

The Chinese regime responded warily to Taiwan’s election and didn’t even Mr. Lai by name. In a statement released late on Saturday, an official from China’s foreign ministry demands the international community embrace the idea that there is only “one China,” recognizing the regime’s sovereignty claim over the self-ruled island,

“The Taiwan question is China’s internal affair. Whatever changes take place in Taiwan, the basic fact that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China will not change,” it said.

In the run-up to the key election, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has ratcheted up pressure on Taiwan, sending warplanes and warships near the island on a daily basis and spreading disinformation online. As Taiwanese voters cast their ballots on Saturday, the island’s defense ministry said it detected 8 Chinese aircraft and 6 vessels operating around the island.

Despite Mr. Lai’s repeated calls for peace and promises that he would maintain the “status quo” in cross-strait relations, the CCP has warned people against voting for him, saying the election of Mr. Lai could “trigger cross-strait confrontation and conflict.”

US Lawmakers Response

In Washington, the CCP’s pressure was met with largely critical comments on Capitol Hill on Saturday. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), a ranking member of the committee, along with Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.), and Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.), condemned the Chinese regime’s attempts to “influence the elections through disinformation and military pressure” while applauding “the people of Taiwan for upholding democratic ideals.”

The group said they look forward to working with Lai’s administration to improve the economic, cultural, and defense relationship between the United States and Taiwan.

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, congratulated Mr. Lai on his victory in the presidential election, calling Taiwan “a gleaming representation of a flourishing democracy and a symbol of bravery in the face of near-constant authoritarian pressure.”

Over a dozen U.S. lawmakers from both sides of the aisle also offered congratulations to Taiwan, with many calling for strengthening unofficial ties with the democratically-governed island.

Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Ami Bera (D-Calif.), and Andy Barr (R-Ky.), co-chairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, called Saturday’s election “another vibrant display of Taiwan’s thriving democracy.”

“In the face of escalating threats to Taiwan’s democracy and security, it is imperative that the United States remains steadfast in support of the people of Taiwan and our shared commitment to democratic values,” they said in a statement.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) agrees.

“America must do everything we can to push back against Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party and offer our full support for a democratic and free Taiwan,” he said in a statement.

World Reaction

The European Union (EU), the United Kingdom, Japan, and lawmakers in other democratic countries also sent their configurations to Taiwan after Mr. Lai was elected.

The EU said it “welcomes” the presidential election in Taiwan and expressed congratulations to “all the voters who participated in this democratic exercise.”

“The EU remains concerned about growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and opposes any unilateral attempt to change the status quo,” a spokesperson for the EU’s chief diplomat said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Japan pledged to further deepen cooperation with Taiwan.

“The Government of Japan congratulates the smooth implementation of the democratic election and Mr. Lai on his victory,” Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said in a statement, calling Taiwan “an extremely crucial partner and an important friend” of the country.

“We expect that the issue surrounding Taiwan will be resolved peacefully through dialogue, thereby contributing to the peace and stability in the region.”