Taiwan Voters Tell President Ma to Take It Slow With China

The worst defeat in local elections for Taiwan’s ruling party was a setback for President Ma Ying-jeou’s economic policy of opening to China, bolstering the opposition’s chances in the 2016 presidential race.

The Kuomintang, known as the KMT, lost nine of their 15 city mayor and county chief positions in the Nov. 29 vote. Premier Jiang Yi-huah resigned and the president pledged reform the same evening, saying he has “received the message sent by the people,” while brushing off calls to step down from the party’s chairmanship.