Taiwan Elects First Female President, Tsai Ing Wen

Tsai Ing-wen has been elected Taiwan’s first female president.

Ms Tsai, 59, leads the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that wants independence from China, the BBC reports.


In her victory speech, she vowed to preserve the status quo in relations with China, adding Beijing must respect Taiwan’s democracy and both sides must ensure there are no provocations.

China sees the island as a breakaway province – which it has threatened to take back by force if necessary.

In her speech, Ms Tsai hailed a “new era” in Taiwan and pledged to co-operate with other political parties on major issues.