The posts, many of them written in simplified Chinese used on the mainland and not the traditional characters more commonly used in Taiwan, started to appear on Tsai’s Facebook page on Wednesday evening.
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This is not the first time Tsai has received several Facebook posts from across the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan’s freewheeling democracy stands in sharp contrast to China’s one-party state, and a cast of colorful candidates are contesting seats. “We’ll have good relations with leaders in the region”. “We sincerely urge Your Excellency to consider the issue of Tibet as one of the core issues of new government in Taiwan under your leadership”, he added.
Taiwanese voters on Saturday elected Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party as president following the eight-year term of Ma Ying-jeou of the China-friendly Nationalist Party. “Following the will and consensus of the Taiwanese people, we will work to maintain the status quo for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.
Taiwan is the only Chinese-speaking society in the world that gives citizens the power to select their leaders through competitive free and fair elections.
The results show that, 20 years after direct presidential elections were introduced in Taiwan in 1996, a democratic system led by two parties has taken root and is maturing there.
Essentially, as long as Taiwan is willing to continue to tow the line, then Beijing will also continue to allow Taiwan to carry on ruling itself as essentially an independent nation.
There have been concerns that relations across the Taiwan Strait would deteriorate under Tsai’s administration, since the DPP is known for its pro-Taiwan independence stance.
The Defense Ministry did not immediately say whether the drills were related to Saturday’s election that was won by Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party.
Despite her and the DPP’s election wins, Tsai will face tough challenges ahead, including keeping relations with China from being strained while responding to the popular discontent as demonstrated at the polls. China could easily block any bid by Taiwan to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, for instance – a pact that could otherwise provide a major boost to the island’s economy. Rather than agreeing with the “1992 Consensus” as defined by the KMT and Beijing, Wu said, Tsai “advocates a return to the original spirit of “setting aside differences to seek common ground” that formed the basis of the 1992 cross-strait meetings”.
Unless President Ma clearly states his respect for the new president-elect to allow the majority party in the Legislature to form the Cabinet “and remains as a figure head”, – which will allow room for the DPP to “shoulder responsibilities” – it will “become a mess”, Su said.
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However, the president-elect said throughout her campaign she would avoid upsetting China and not try to break away legally to back up the island’s de facto autonomy.
