Taiwanese voters have chosen the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Lai Ching-te as their president in a historic election.

Lai, strongly opposed by China, defeated his rival, New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang (KMT) party, by six-point-five percentage points in the election, with a voter turnout of 72 percent.

In a press conference following his victory, Lai said that, as one of the first and most highly anticipated elections of 2024, Taiwan has achieved a victory for the community of democracies, adding that Taiwan will continue to walk side-by-side with democracies all around the world.

The DPP secured a historic third consecutive presidential victory but lost its majority in the legislature with the opposition gaining ground, though not one party has enough seats to control parliament.

China said that the results of the Saturday election reveal that the DPP cannot represent the mainstream public opinion of Taiwan, adding that the election cannot change the common wishes of people on both sides of the strait and cannot stop the ultimate wave to realize the unification of the motherland.

In a congratulatory message to the newly elected leader, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington is committed to maintaining cross-strait peace and stability and that the partnership between the United States and Taiwan continues to broaden and deepen.