Strasbourg, 16/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 14 January, the high representative of the EU for foreign affairs welcomed the elections held in Taiwan on the same day, which saw President Ma Ying-jeou re-elected with 51.6% of the vote, for a second and final term in office for four years. Catherine Ashton welcomed improvements in cross-strait relations between Taiwan and China over the four years of his previous term in office. “I hope that this trend will continue, to the benefit of the people on both sides of the strait”, she added.
The two countries have lived separately since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, but Beijing considers Taiwan a rebel province and would like to bring it back to the fold. (CG/transl.fl)