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Focus on China

As Tsai pledges stronger Taiwan, Beijing watches and waits

– The K-pop factor –

Tsai’s comments came against a backdrop of outrage over the treatment of 16-year-old Taiwanese K-pop star Chou Tzu-yu, who was forced to apologise after waving Taiwan’s official flag in an Internet broadcast.

The flag-waving stoked online anger in China and accusations that she was a pro-independence advocate.

Her abject video apology went viral Saturday, prompting Ma and the presidential candidates to leap to her defence.

Tsai mentioned Chou in her victory address to media, saying the case highlighted the importance of “strength and unity to those outside our borders”.

“This incident… invoked old and new hatred among some people towards China,” said George Tsai, politics professor at the Chinese Culture University in Taipei.

“It probably cost the KMT hundreds of thousands of ballots.”

Chou reportedly had a Chinese endorsement deal pulled and her band was axed from a Chinese TV show, which struck a nerve with the electorate.

“Taiwan is subject to both as well: threats to its economic wellbeing and sledgehammer rhetoric in Internet forums,” said Clayton Dube of the University of Southern California’s US-China Institute.

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“Tsai has vowed to work to ensure that Taiwanese can be proud of their home.”

Voter anger has also been stirred by Taiwan’s diminishing position on the global stage in the shadow of China’s growing influence.

Taiwan is only officially recognised by 22 countries, with even the US having unofficial ties after establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing in 1979.

Tsai said Saturday that Taiwan’s international space must be respected, another shot across the bows of Beijing.

The strength of her stance reflects a shift in voter mindsets, says Nathan Batto of Taiwan’s Academia Sinica research institute.

“More and more people think of themselves as exclusively Taiwanese,” says Batto, rather than Chinese and Taiwanese.

“That’s a fundamental change.”

While analysts agree there will be no immediate backlash from Beijing to Taiwan’s new era of politics, they say China will be monitoring Tsai’s every move.

“Beijing may not take a harsh approach within a short period,” said analyst Tsai.

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“But it is not clear to what extent it will put up with her.”

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