Mme. Tsai: Great Expectations

Damir Sagolj/Reuters, via nytimes.com Tsai-Ing Wen is not only Taiwan’s first female leader, but she’s also the first Asian elected leader in recent memory who is not part of a dynasty. Now that’s she’s been elected, the hard part begins

Economist A victory not only for sovereignty, but for social democracy — the latter may clash with the economic implications of the former. Both are huge challenges

Yomiuri The vote means that the KMT’s policy of reconciliation has been soundly rejected. But Tsai’s past rejection of the 1992 consensus may pose a risk — as the mainland can apply significant economic pressure on the island

The National Interest Tsai is going to have to wean Taiwan away from the mainland economy and bolster its military deterrent. Both will take time

WSJ (Video) Taiwan’s younger adults, derided in the past as the squishy “Strawberry Generation,” have grown a spine. They were instrumental in Tsai’s victory

(economist.com) Channel News Asia Tsai may have won the election and gained a friendly legislature, but she doesn’t actually take office until May. The next four months will be an uneasy interregnum between the outgoing Ma cabinet and a newly restive Lifa Yuan. In the meantime the new leader should make personal overtures to Beijing, and forget about any honeymoon in Taipei

Focus Taiwan Tsai may represent a watershed for women in Taiwan, but there is still much work to be done

InterAksyon Public opinion in mainland China is strongly against Taiwanese independence. Xi Dada is definitely on the spot now

Originally published at b-copy.com on January 18, 2016.