From the Financial Times: “The Chinese Communist party has reason to be satisfied with recent election results – not on the undemocratic mainland, of course, but in the outlying territories of Hong Kong and Taiwan.
In Hong Kong’s legislative elections in September, democratic parties failed to make as much headway as they had hoped, thus weakening their challenge to the thoroughly undemocratic system that keeps Beijing’s loyalists in power.
In fully democratic Taiwan, the independence-minded President Chen Shui- bian was unable to win a parliamentary majority in Saturday’s election, a result depriving him of a convincing mandate and giving new life to the Kuomintang, which is more eager to reach an accommodation with Beijing.
The benefits of the unexpected outcome of the Taiwan vote are clear, and not just for the Chinese leaders who detest Mr Chen. Tension in the Taiwan Strait is likely to ease because Mr Chen will find it harder to pursue policies regarded by Beijing as highly provocative, including the introduction of a new constitution that would help formalise Taiwan’s de facto separation from the mainland.”
