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Taiwan Elects First Female President, Rejects Pro-China Party
First, Hillary's position on the importance of Taiwanese independence, from an Aug 2015 piece on how US elections effect relations with China:
snip>Clinton has also been remarkably outspoken on Taiwan, particularly within the context of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九 ) geopolitically potent China-friendly policies, which began immediately after his election in 2008. In a 2014 interview with Taiwan’s Business Weekly magazine, Clinton criticized those policies strongly, saying they could eventually result in a loss of Taiwan’s economic and political independence. Underscoring the point, she compared Taiwan to the Ukraine, where Russian separatists were then working hard trying to undo the country’s democracy and return it to Moscow’s orbit.......
“Now you have to decide how dependent economically you become… How… do you handle the [cross-strait] relationship, if you say this far, but no farther?” Clinton said. “That will put pressure on you from China, if they want more, but you have to make these evaluations based on what you think is in the long-term interest of Taiwan.”
Clinton’s interview was remarkable, because it clearly suggested that she recognized the strategic importance to the U.S. of Taiwan’s fortuitous location in the geographical center of the first island chain, which gives it the ability to prevent the spread of Chinese naval power eastward, including toward critical American military assets like Guam. In this respect, she has been unique among serious American presidential candidates in the 2016 elections, who have either ignored the issue entirely or more probably are simply unaware of it, which is usually par for the course for otherwise well-informed American politicians.
In sharp contrast to Clinton, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders has rarely spoken out on China...
http://buzzorange.com/global/2015/08/31/what-the-u-s-presidential-elections-mean-to-taiwan-and-china-relations/
“Now you have to decide how dependent economically you become… How… do you handle the [cross-strait] relationship, if you say this far, but no farther?” Clinton said. “That will put pressure on you from China, if they want more, but you have to make these evaluations based on what you think is in the long-term interest of Taiwan.”
Clinton’s interview was remarkable, because it clearly suggested that she recognized the strategic importance to the U.S. of Taiwan’s fortuitous location in the geographical center of the first island chain, which gives it the ability to prevent the spread of Chinese naval power eastward, including toward critical American military assets like Guam. In this respect, she has been unique among serious American presidential candidates in the 2016 elections, who have either ignored the issue entirely or more probably are simply unaware of it, which is usually par for the course for otherwise well-informed American politicians.
In sharp contrast to Clinton, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders has rarely spoken out on China...
http://buzzorange.com/global/2015/08/31/what-the-u-s-presidential-elections-mean-to-taiwan-and-china-relations/
"Buzzorange" is not a site with which I am familiar, so here is a video of the interview referenced in the piece-
#t=21
Now, the news about Taiwan's historic achievement-
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan elected Tsai Ing-wen as its first female president Saturday, handing her pro-independence party its first majority in the national legislature and rejecting the China-friendly party that has led the self-governing island for eight years.
Voters concerned that Taiwan's economy is under threat from China and broadly opposed to Beijing's demands for political unification resoundingly chose Tsai over the Nationalists' Eric Chu, a late replacement for his party's original candidate, who was seen as alienating voters.
...
Tsai said her victory was a further show of how ingrained democracy has become on Taiwan and showed that its people wish for a government "steadfast in protecting this nation's sovereignty." She too pledged to maintain the status quo with China. She said both sides have a responsibility to find a mutually acceptable means of interacting, while adding that Taiwan's international space must be respected.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/world-news/taiwan-elects-first-female-president
8 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
brilliant leader for Taiwan. Just like Hillary will be for the United States of America. 
