The mayor, Han Kuo-yu, had tried to win the presidency just months ago on a Beijing-friendly platform. His removal in a recall vote reflects a stunning reversal and a hardening of Taiwan’s attitude toward China.

The New York Times
Date: June 6, 2020
By: Chris Horton and Amy Chang Chien

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Voters in the southern port city of Kaohsiung voted overwhelmingly on Saturday to remove their China-friendly mayor from office, just months after he lost his bid to unseat President Tsai Ing-wen in national elections.

The vote caps a roller-coaster two years for the mayor, Han Kuo-yu, who emerged from political obscurity to win the 2018 race in Kaohsiung, a traditional stronghold of Ms. Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party. That victory served as a launching pad for Mr. Han’s presidential bid.

Saturday’s vote, known as a recall, appeared to reflect Taiwan’s hardening attitude toward China, which has been intensifying efforts to bring the island democracy under its control. The vote is the first time that Taiwanese voters have removed a mayor, whose status is similar to a governor in the United States. A new election will choose his successor.

Mr. Han, of the opposition party, Kuomintang, had campaigned for president on a platform of forging closer ties with China’s Communist government, which claims Taiwan as its territory but has never ruled it. Running on the slogan, “Safety for Taiwan, money for the people,” Mr. Han said having better ties with China would lessen the risk of conflict and improve the economy.    [FULL  STORY]