Taiwan has stood up to China at the ballot box – how Beijing responds will be key

Western nations have lined up to praise the island’s democracy after a new president and parliament were elected, writes Kim Sengupta. But the threat Taiwan faces will not disappear

Guards raise Taiwan’s national flag on Democracy Boulevard at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei on Sunday (AFP/Getty)

The rally was colourful and loud, with a packed, predominantly young crowd and a highly popular hip-hop band. Lai Ching-te, the presidential election candidate for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was being lauded as the man who would lead Taiwan into the international community and away from China.

Many of those present spoke of their concerns about the economy, social divisions and official corruption. But an existential issue could not be ignored. Discussions continually returned to how Beijing would react to Lai, someone who is loathed by the Chinese government as a “separatist troublemaker”, winning at the polls.

The danger of Beijing trying to reunite Taiwan with the mainland by force is a fact of daily life on Matsu Island, nine miles from China, which would be in the “kill zone” – ie the first line of defence against an invasion.