Democratic Progressive party candidate Tsai Ing-wen was elected president of Taiwan on Saturday as voters delivered her party a clear majority of seats in the national legislature, a sharp rebuke to the ruling Nationalist party’s pro-Beijing economic policies, The Financial Times reported. Tsai reiterated on Saturday her support for the “status quo” with China, but warned that Taiwan’s “democratic system, national identity and international space must be respected.” Tsai’s May inauguration will make her the first female president of Taiwan, residents of which increasingly identify as Taiwanese instead of Chinese–much to the chagrin of Beijing’s Communist leaders, who consider the island a province.
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