Canberra calls for calm in Beijing after Taiwan elects Lai

Australia has urged Xi Jinping’s government to restrain from any dangerous military activities after the candidate Beijing openly loathes won this weekend’s presidential election in Taiwan.

William Lai and running mate Hsiao Bi-khim savour victory at partys headquarters in Taipei on saturday. Picture: Getty Images

Australia has urged Xi Jinping’s government to restrain from any dangerous military activities after the candidate Beijing openly loathes won the weekend’s presidential election in Taiwan.

Taiwanese voters on Saturday gave the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s an unprecedented third term as President, delivering a win to William Lai in defiance of stark warnings from Beijing that electing him could trigger war.

A spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Penny Wong said it was “important that everyone respects the outcome of democratic elections,” after China’s ambassador in Australia launched an extraordinary warning about Canberra’s future relations with Taiwan’s next government.

“Peace and stability is in all our interests. Australia does not want to see any unilateral change to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait,” a spokeswoman said.

Opposition foreign spokesman Simon Birmingham said it was “inappropriate” for China to try to “dictate how Australia should ­engage with our partners”. “There is no justification for any escalation in military activities or acts that risk instability, miscalculation or misadventure,” he said.

“All parties should respect the democratic will expressed by the Taiwanese people and act in ways that support peace and stability,” Senator Birmingham said.

Late on Saturday night, Mr Lai said the result in the closely watched contest was a “victory for the community of democracies”.

“The Taiwanese people have successfully resisted efforts from external forces to influence this election. We trust that only the people of Taiwan have the right to choose their own president,” he said.

Since the former doctor was chosen as the DPP’s candidate last March, Beijing has waged an influence campaign even his political opponents have admitted was unprecedented in its scale.

Mr Lai won with 40 per cent of the vote, according to Taiwan’s Central Election Commission, comfortably beating Beijing’s preferred candidate Hou Yu-ih from the largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, who received 33.5 per cent of the vote.

Ko Wen-je from the upstart Taiwan People’s Party came third with 26.4 per cent, taking votes from both of the established parties.

Here’s the Australian government statement:

“Australia congratulates Dr Lai Ching-te on his victory.
“We also congratulate the people of Taiwan on the peaceful exercise of their democratic rights…”https://t.co/PuHsXCeulFpic.twitter.com/n6U1bTSICD

— Will Glasgow (@wmdglasgow) January 14, 2024

Diplomats and analysts expect Beijing will respond angrily to Mr Lai’s victory. Economic sanctions are expected, along with ­intimidating drills by China’s People’s Liberation Army in the lead up to the president-elect’s inauguration in May. Hours before the vote, China’s military vowed to “smash” Taiwanese independence “plots”, declaring the PLA was “on high alert”.

The DPP’s proudly Taiwanese identity infuriates Beijing, whose Communist Party leaders believe it is working to formalise ­Taiwan’s independence from China.

Xi’s government cut all contact with Taipei after Tsai Ing-wen, a moderate figure in the DPP, was elected president in 2016, and has made it known that it is even more concerned about Mr Lai, who it has branded a “troublemaker” for his association with the party’s independence-leaning elements.

China’s ambassador in Australia, Xiao Qian, also drew international attention by issuing an election-eve statement that accused Mr Lai’s party of adopting a “separatist stance” and warning of grave consequences of any “miscalculations” by Canberra in its ­future relations with Taiwan.

“If Australia is tied to the chariot of Taiwan separatist forces, the Australian people would be pushed over the edge of an abyss,” Xiao said.

Richard McGregor, a senior fellow at the Lowy Institute, said Mr Lai’s victory would raise the sensitivity of the Australian government’s relations with Taiwan.

“Everything about Taiwan becomes more sensitive for Beijing following Saturday’s election,” Mr McGregor told The Australian.

“It’s one thing to try to expand your relationship with Taiwan if the KMT is in power. It’s another thing to do it when the DPP’s in power. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it, but we should have our eyes open about the potential reaction.”

Beijing’s initial reaction to the result was relatively restrained. A spokesman for China’s State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said the election result would do nothing to prevent Beijing’s push for reunification.

“Our stance on resolving the Taiwan question and realising ­national reunification remains consistent, and our determination is as firm as rock,” said Beijing spokesman Chen Binhua.

“We will adhere to the 1992 consensus that embodies the one-China principle and firmly oppose the separatist activities aimed at ‘Taiwan independence’ as well as foreign interference.”

DPP supporters were euphoric, however the party lost its majority in Taiwan’s parliament. Passing legislation in the next parliament will require the DPP getting the support of either the KMT or TPP, whose youthful support base made it the other big winner on Saturday.

In his victory speech, Mr Lai said the result in the legislature showed the Taiwanese people wanted “check and balances” over the next government. The president-elect said the result of the legislative elections showed that “there are areas we must humbly review and look back on”.

Mr Lai said he would invite people from across Taiwan’s political spectrum to join his government and would “carefully study the policies and positions of my two electoral opponents”, looking for areas of agreement.