Dr Tsai Ing-Wen waves after addressing supporters in Taipei following her re-election as President of Taiwan on 11 January. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

SINGAPORE — Singapore offered its congratulations to Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen on Sunday (12 January), following her landslide victory in the island’s elections the day before.

“We welcome the successful conclusion of the elections in Taiwan on 11 January 2020 and congratulate Dr Tsai Ing-wen and her party on their victory. Singapore and Taiwan share a close and friendly relationship,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in response to media queries.

“We will continue to grow this relationship based on Singapore’s ‘One China’ policy,” the ministry added.

Alluding to China, the MFA noted that it has taken “wisdom and pragmatism” on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to achieve the “peaceful and stable development of cross-strait relations” and that both sides have benefited from such relations.

“Efforts to secure the well-being of future generations and contribute to the peace and prosperity of the region will continue to be welcomed by Singapore and the international community,” said the ministry.

On Saturday, Dr Tsai swept to victory over her Beijing-friendly rival Han Kuo-yu by garnering 57 per cent of the popular vote with over 8 million ballots. The result secured her another four-year term in office, while her Democratic Progressive Party also captured a majority in Parliament.

Dr Tsai’s victory is widely seen as a sharp rebuke of Beijing’s efforts to isolate and assert its authority over the island, which it considers as part of China.

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