China has expressed "strong objection" to a statement by Japan's Foreign Minister Yuko Kamikawa, in which she congratulated Taiwan's newly elected President Lai Ching-te, while Taiwan's Foreign Ministry urged Beijing to "respect the election results and confront reality."
Lai Ching-te won the island's presidential election on Saturday, securing 40.1% of the votes after a campaign marred by diplomatic and military pressure from China. The island is regarded by China as an inalienable part of its territory.
Minister Kamikawa congratulated Lai on his victory in a statement published on the Japanese Foreign Ministry's website on Saturday following the announcement of the election results. Kamikawa noted that Taiwan, which enjoys self-governance, "is an extremely important partner and friend."
In response, the Chinese Embassy in Japan described Kamikawa's remarks as a "serious interference in China's internal affairs," according to a statement released today on the embassy's WeChat account, without mentioning Lai or acknowledging his victory.
The embassy expressed its deep dissatisfaction and strong opposition to the congratulations on Lai's victory, who will take office on May 20. It stressed that it had filed a formal protest with Japan.
Like most countries, Japan does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, a prerequisite for establishing diplomatic ties with China. However, Japan has sought to strengthen relations with Taipei due to recent tensions with China.
After his victory, Lai Ching-te vowed to defend the island and told supporters, "We are determined to protect Taiwan from China's ongoing threats and intimidation." He thanked "the Taiwanese people for writing a new chapter in our democracy" and stated, "We tell the international community that between democracy and autocracy, we will stand with democracy."
Lai emphasized that "the Taiwanese people alone have the right to choose their president," committing to "continuing exchanges and cooperation with China."
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry, in a statement today, called on China to "respect the results of the presidential election, face reality, and stop oppressing Taiwan" in order to "bring cross-strait interactions back onto the right track."
Beijing considers Lai Ching-te, who was the vice president to the outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, to be a "grave danger" due to his pro-Taiwan independence stance.
China reiterated on Saturday that "reunification" with Taiwan is "inevitable." Chen Pinhua, spokesperson for the Chinese office responsible for relations with Taiwan, stated that the vote "will not impede the inevitable trend toward reunification with China," as reported by the New China News Agency.
President Joe Biden emphasized that the United States does not support Taiwan's independence, commenting on Lai's victory, which was also congratulated by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who praised the "resilience of the democratic system" on the island.
The European Union "welcomed" the conduct of the elections in Taiwan and "congratulated" all of the voters who participated in this democratic election in a statement.
With a population of 23 million and located 180 kilometers off the Chinese coast, Taiwan saw a Chinese fighter jet over the city of Pingtan, closest to the island, as its voters headed to the polls.
Taiwan's status remains one of the biggest issues in the competition between China and the United States, the island's main military supporter. Washington plans to send an "unofficial delegation" to Taiwan after the vote.
Any conflict in the Taiwan Strait would be catastrophic for the economy, with the island securing 70% of the world's semiconductors, while more than 50% of the world's container traffic passes through this strait.
