BEIJING: China said “reunification” with Taiwan remained “inevitable” after president-elect William Lai Ching-te won Saturday’s (Jan 13) pivotal election on the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own. Lai, branded by China as a threat to peace, won an unprecedented third consecutive term for Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)Continue Reading
HONG KONG: China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said on Saturday (Jan 13) the victory of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate William Lai Ching-te in an islandwide election would not change the basic landscape of cross-strait relations. In a statement carried on China’s state Xinhua news agency, Chen Binhua, aContinue Reading
TAIPEI: Taiwan on Saturday (Jan 13) elected Mr William Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as its next president – an outcome likely to displease Beijing, in an election that has been dominated by cross-strait relations.
Vote counting is still under way, but Mr Lai’s rivals – Mr Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang (KMT) and Dr Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) – conceded defeat at about 8pm.
As of 8.05pm, Mr Lai had secured about 40 per cent of support, ahead of Kuomintang (LMT) rival Hou Yu-ih who bagged about 33 per cent, and Dr Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) with about 26 per cent, with more than 13 million votes counted, according to broadcaster TVBS.
Voter turnout from 8am to 4pm was at 69 per cent according to an earlier update by the Central Election Commission. Almost 20 million people were eligible to vote in this election.
The win marks the first time a DPP president will hand over the reins within the party. Current vice-president Lai succeeds outgoing president Tsai Ing-wen, who cannot run for re-election after serving two consecutive terms.
Mr Lai, 64, was the frontrunner in public polls going into Saturday’s vote. The former mayor of Tainan is a noted proponent of Taiwan’s independence. His rivals and critics have said his election would endanger Taiwan and threaten peace with China.
TOKYO: Japan’s All Nippon Airways on Saturday (Jan 13) returned a domestic flight to its departure airport after a crack was found on the cockpit window of the Boeing 737 midair, Kyodo news reported. Flight 1182 was en route to Toyama airport but headed back to the Sapporo-New Chitose airportContinue Reading
Taiwan and the world are waiting with bated breath for the outcome of a closely-watched presidential and legislative election which could significantly impact regional and global stability, while shaping the island’s relations with China for years to come.
Some 20 million Taiwanese were eligible to vote in today’s polls, to choose their next leader and legislators.
In the presidential race, it is a three-cornered fight between Mr Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Mr Hou Yu-ih of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Dr Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP).
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SHANGHAI: At least 10 people have died and six are missing after a coal mine accident in the city of Pingdingshan, in central China, the local emergency management agency said on Saturday (Jan 13), vowing to continue rescue operations and launch city-wide safety checks. A safety inspection campaign in coal-richContinue Reading
Meanwhile, Mr Hou, the KMT candidate, arrived at Banqiao Elementary School in New Taipei’s Banqiao district at around 10am.
Asked by the media what his lucky charms were, he pointed to his hand and said they were the contact he has had with supporters during his campaign.
The previous night, his daughter bought fried chicken for him and they chatted till 1am, he said.
“I’m feeling upbeat with the sunny weather we have today, seeing Taiwanese passionate about the polls. They’ve come out early in the morning to vote. It’s a clear example of our democracy,” Mr Hou told reporters.
Some voters who were at the school told CNA that they were more concerned about domestic affairs, such as fighting corruption and implementing energy policies, in deciding their votes.
“Of course (it) is to try to be as peaceful as possible, because we do not wish for war as much as possible. Yes, it is quite important for us who live here,” said one middle-aged voter.
At the Fahua Temple in downtown Taipei, the prayer hall was transformed into a polling station with ballot booths set up in front of statues of Buddha.
Ms Hsien Chao-rong, 56, was one of the earliest voters there. She said her hope for Taiwan after this election was for everyone to be able to live peacefully and enjoy financial stability.
“Everyone has one precious vote and they should use it. No matter who you support, if each person goes to cast their vote, then it’s fair,” she told CNA.
At another temple in the bustling Wanhua district, a jewellery seller who only wanted to be known as Ms Shi, 65, said she was voting against corruption in government.
“We need a change of environment,” she said.
Food rivalries, and the stream of public sentiments and “misconceptions” that accompany each episode, are part of the reason Dr Ong writes about food.
“Unfortunately, most of the people who made the comments, including the politicians, don’t know much about their local food, or the origins,” he said.
“We should all get together and promote our ASEAN dishes and talk about our local variations, similarities and differences.”
Across the Johor strait, Mr Ronald Gan, president of the Melaka Peranakan Association, is in the midst of the Wangkang – an 11-day ceremony recognised by the UN as intangible cultural heritage.
At the end of it, a Wangkang or deity’s barge is consumed by fire, giving deliverance to wandering souls on board the boat.
In his role, Mr Gan works with groups in China’s Xiamen city to preserve the traditions of the ritual. He believes a similarly collaborative approach is necessary for something as culturally significant as food.
NEW YORK: K-pop is betting that it can reverse its slowing global growth by becoming less Korean. This is a mistake: Without the “K”, the music is plain pop, undistinguishable from – and unable to compete with – the dominant American kind.
There is no question the K-pop wave is waning. Bang Si-hyuk, whose Hybe is behind such acts as BTS and NewJeans, believes the industry is in crisis. South Korean customs data shows that K-pop album exports in 2022 grew just 4.8 per cent to over US$230 million, compared with 62.1 per cent in 2021 and 82.6 per cent in 2020.
This is in no small part because of BTS, far and away the industry’s biggest act, went into hiatus at the end of 2022, to allow the seven band members to fulfil their mandatory military service and pursue solo projects.
At the time, there were fears of a decline in the US market, where BTS accounted for a third of all K-pop sales and streams. The US is K-pop’s second-biggest export market, behind Japan.
But overall album exports in the first half of last year were up a respectable 17 per cent. Jungkook, a BTS member, scored a huge hit with his solo album Golden, and the single Seven garnered a billion streams on Spotify – faster than any song previously.
So Bang’s warnings about a K-pop crisis seem a little premature.
President Tsai Ing-wen is ineligible to seek re-election after serving two straight terms.
The hopefuls have been busy through the 28 days of formal campaigning, staging rallies and taking part in televised debates as they seek to win people’s hearts and minds – and secure their votes.
CNA has been on the ground – here are the key issues that have emerged in this election.
The issue has been at the forefront as China steps up military and economic pressure on Taiwan. Beijing has framed the election as a choice between war and peace across the Taiwan Strait, as well as between prosperity and recession.
While China has not publicly stated its preferred candidate, it has clearly signalled who’s not in its favour, calling the DPP’s Lai a “separatist” and “troublemaker”.
Mr Lai was previously outspoken in his support for Taiwan independence – which China sees as a red line – but has since distanced himself from this. He has pledged to prioritise the status quo, saying only Taiwan’s people can decide the island’s future.
Mr Hou of the KMT has portrayed the presidential ballot as a choice between war and peace with China, mirroring Beijing’s warning. He has said he will restart talks with China, starting with lower-level events such as cultural exchanges. Still, he rejects Beijing’s “one country, two systems” model of bringing Taiwan under its control.
As for the TPP’s Dr Ko, how exactly he will conduct cross-strait policy remains unclear. He has touted his party as offering a “middle way” between the DPP and KMT on the matter of China, while offering few details.
We talked to analysts to find out the likely trajectories of cross-strait relations under each of the three men, and the best- and worst-case scenarios for Taiwan depending on who takes office.
Like previous elections, defence has remained a key issue, arguably gaining greater prominence this election cycle as an increasingly assertive China looms large.
In a sign of the times, a Chinese satellite launch triggered alarm in Taiwan just earlier this week after authorities sent out an emergency message notifying the public.
An English-language version announced it as “[Air raid alert], Missile flyover Taiwan airspace, be aware”. The island’s defence ministry later apologised, saying the reference to a missile in the message was inaccurate.
The three presidential candidates have all laid out their planned defence policies should they be elected. A common factor is to uphold defence spending, with the TPP’s Dr Ko going further to suggest raising the budget to 3 per cent of the island’s gross domestic product.
Taiwan will see a record-high overall defence budget of NT$606.8 billion (US$19.1 billion) this year, or about 2.5 per cent of its GDP. This would mark the seventh consecutive on-year increase in the island’s defence spending.
The candidates are also aligned on the extension of military conscription to one year, taking effect this month. It’s a rare consensus in a campaign trail which has seen the hopefuls locking horns on an array of issues.
The move has been met with broad public support. Still, reservations have been expressed over perceived lapses in training and equipment. Questions have also been raised over whether longer military service will translate to stronger national defence.