Taiwan slips further from Xi's grasp

Beijing views Lai as more of a troublemaker compared with his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, because of comments made years earlier saying he supported Taiwan's independence. Many Taiwanese voters see him as the island's best chance of retaining self-rule. "I'm so happy," Summer Wong, a 50-year-old accountant, told The Australian Financial Review. She was one of thousands of supporters waving pink and green flags at the victory party outside DPP's headquarters in Taipei. "This was a fight between democracy and the pro-China forces. I was afraid we were going to become the next Hong Kong. Lai will protect Taiwan's sovereignty," Ms…