China to ramp up pressure as Taiwan faces uncertain future

News Snapshot:

“The results reveal that the Democratic Progressive Party cannot represent the mainstream public opinion on the island,” China’s State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said after the result. In his victory speech, Mr Lai said he would maintain the status quo in relations across the Taiwan Strait. He has previously been at pains to back down from comments made in 2017, when he vowed to work for Taiwan’s independence, an incendiary goal for Beijing. China considers Taiwan a renegade province that must one day be returned to the mainland. However, China’s leadership still views the incoming president as a wildcard and...