Taiwanese businesses, including those operating in China, yesterday urged the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to review and revise its policies related to cross-strait relations after winning an unprecedented third consecutive presidential term on Saturday.
Vice President William Lai (賴清德) of the DPP and his running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), won the presidential election, receiving 5,586,019 votes, or 40.05 percent of the total, the Central Election Commission said.
Lai defeated the main opposition candidate of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), who won 33.49 percent of the vote, and Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who garnered 26.46 percent.
Photo: Daniel Ceng, EPA-EFE
Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland president Lee Cheng-hung (李政宏) said that when formulating cross-strait policy, the DPP should remember that more than 8 million people did not vote for them.
“The incoming DPP administration should draw a lesson from this bitter experience [of a majority of voters backing other parties] and present a better policy to help Taiwanese striving for a better life and future,” he said.
Lai has been targeted by the KMT and Beijing for his description of himself as a “pragmatic worker for Taiwanese independence,” although he has sought to walk back that characterization in the past few months.
Noting that cross-strait relations are issues of global concern, Lee stressed the importance of cross-strait peace and stability, saying it has great implications for the global economy.
Tsai Shih-ming (蔡世明), a Taiwanese businessman in Shanghai, said in a telephone interview that the DPP would have no honeymoon period with China after Saturday’s election.
Beijing would judge Lai’s administration by its deeds, not just its words, Tsai said, adding that China holds the cards concerning the resumption of exchanges.
Hander Chang (張致遠), secretary-general of the Hsinchu-based Taiwan Science Park Association of Science and Industry, said that while Taiwan’s trade dependence on the Chinese market has fallen in the past few years, the country remains a large export destination for Taiwanese goods.
An abrupt cooling in cross-strait relations is not in the interests of Taiwan because the nation is small and cross-strait collaboration is of great importance to it, Chang said.
GlobalWafers Co (環球晶圓) chairwoman Doris Hsu (徐秀蘭) said that while the company has expanded its business globally, it hopes that Taiwan can maintain stable engagement with other countries.
Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (力積電) chairman Frank Huang (黃崇仁) said that despite Taiwan’s strength in the global semiconductor supply chain, it still needs to talk with China given the huge Chinese market.
“Taiwan could not completely rely on the US. It should deal with China and maintain peace across the strait,” Huang said.
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