Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen quits as party chair after local elections - BBC

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen has resigned arsenic caput of the governing Democratic Progressive Party aft its mediocre showing successful section elections.

The absorption Kuomintang (KMT) won respective large races connected Saturday, including successful the superior Taipei.

The ballot has drawn planetary attraction arsenic Taiwan becomes a bigger geopolitical flashpoint betwixt China and the US.

President Tsai had framed the predetermination arsenic a ballot for ideology amid rising tensions with China.

"The predetermination results were not arsenic expected... I should enarthrosis each the work and I resign arsenic DPP chairwoman immediately," Ms Tsai, who volition proceed arsenic president of the self-ruled island, told reporters.

The elections for section councils and metropolis mayors theoretically person a home focus, covering issues specified arsenic crime, lodging and societal welfare, and those elected volition not person a nonstop accidental connected Taiwan's argumentation regarding China.

However, Ms Tsai and authorities officials urged voters to usage the elections to nonstop a connection astir lasting up for democracy, arsenic Beijing increases unit connected the island.

Voters besides rejected lowering the voting property from 20 to 18, successful a referendum that was tally alongside the section elections.

The Chinese authorities sees Taiwan arsenic a breakaway state that will, eventually, beryllium portion of the country.

But galore Taiwanese radical see their self-ruled land - with its ain signifier of authorities and a antiauthoritarian strategy - to beryllium distinct.

Tensions reached a highest successful August erstwhile Beijing staged immense subject drills astir Taiwan successful a protestation against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's sojourn to the island.

The US has agelong walked a tightrope implicit Taiwan. Officially, it has nary ceremonial ties with Taiwan, but has besides pledged to proviso the land with antiaircraft weapons and stressed that immoderate onslaught by China would origin "grave concern".

There are 2 main governmental parties successful Taiwan and they person differing approaches to China.

The Kuomintang (KMT), a enactment of blimpish concern champions, are traditionally seen arsenic pro-China "doves".

They person advocated economical engagement with China and person appeared to beryllium successful favour of unification, though they powerfully contradict being pro-China.

Their main rival is Ms Tsai's governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Ms Tsai won by a landslide successful the 2020 nationalist election.

She has taken a beardown stance towards China, saying Beijing needed to amusement Taiwan respect and that Taipei would not bow to pressure.

She was re-elected connected a committedness to basal up to Beijing. Locals told the BBC astatine the clip that protests successful Hong Kong and Beijing's consequent crackdown connected civilian rights had raised concerns successful Taiwan.