Beijing: Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen has resigned as the chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party after the party's disastrous results in local elections on Saturday.

A wave of conservatism swept the island as voters rejected Tsai's independence-leaning party in the nationwide polls, as well as marriage equality in a referendum held at the same time.

The local elections are seen as a barometer of voter sentiment towards her government.

Tsai's leadership has raised the ire of mainland China at the same time as winning unprecedented support from the Trump Administration. The DPP lost seven of the 13 mayoral and county magistrates seats it had previously held.