KMT lawmaker Johnny Chiang wins chairman race

Johnny Chiang (left) has pledged to reform Kuomintang after its blistering defeat in January's presidential poll.

Kuomintang (KMT) legislator Johnny Chiang beat party stalwart Hau Lung-pin to win the chairmanship of the Beijing-friendly party in an election on Saturday.



Ex-Taipei mayor and former Kuomintang vice chairman Hau, 67, conceded defeat in a post on social media, congratulating Chiang and saying he hopes the 48-year-old will fulfill his promise to reform the party and rebuild trust among members.



Chiang said the election result was not about victory but about members' wanting him to work hard with them to revamp the Kuomintang in the upcoming year.



He also said on social media that he expects the path of reform to be long and tough and that his party should treasure the opportunity to rebuild trust among the people.



Both Chiang and Hau had earlier indicated that they are ready to drop the "1992 consensus" that there is only "one China." The KMT has insisted for years that Taipei and Beijing are free to interpret this verbal agreement as they wish.



But the party has been rethinking its position following a blistering defeat in the January presidential poll, when the Democratic Progressive Party's Tsai Ing-wen won re-election by a landslide