A US and a number of foreign missions in Taiwan last night extended congratulations to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on her re-election.
Tsai, of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), won a landslide victory over her Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rival, Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), with People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) trailing far behind them both.
The US hailed Tsai’s victory as a demonstration of Taiwan’s “robust democratic system.”
Photo: CNA
The US Department of State, in a statement issued late last night, praised Tsai for developing a strong partnership with Washington and for her “commitment to maintaining cross-strait stability in the face of unrelenting pressure.”
“Under her leadership, we hope Taiwan will continue to serve as a shining example for countries that strive for democracy, prosperity, and a better path for their people,” it said.
It also congratulated Taiwan “for once again demonstrating the strength of its robust democratic system, which — coupled with a free market economy and a vibrant civil — makes it a model for the Indo-Pacific region and a force for good in the world.”
German Institute Taipei Director-General Thomas Prinz had earlier posted a message of congratulations on Facebook, saying that Germany and Taiwan not only have deep exchanges in areas of economy, academia, business and culture, but share the same values.
“Freedom, democracy, rule of law and human rights are the prerequisite foundation of running the country for both Germany and Taiwan, and you and your policies fully exemplify these values,” Prinz wrote.
Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chief Representative Hiroyasu Izumi also posted a congratulatory message on Facebook.
“I feel extremely honored to be able to continue our collaboration with Tsai on elevating the Japan-Taiwan relations to the next level,” Izumi wrote.
Less than two hours after vote counting began following the polls closing, Finnish member of parliament Mikko Karna posted congratulations on Twitter.
“Already at this point of the count I feel safe to say: Congratulations Ms. @iingwen, The President of ROC #Taiwan!” wrote Karna, who is a chair of the Finnish-Taiwanese parliamentary friendship group.
“I am looking forward to visit your fantastic country next summer,” he wrote, adding: “Finland and Taiwan must maintain and further strengthen their bilateral relations.”
As of press time, there had been no response from Beijing.
Additional reporting by AFP
This story has been updated since it was first published.
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