Opposition candidate is winner

Taiwan split from China during civil war in 1949.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s opposition candidate cruised to victory in the presidential election Saturday, promising to expand economic ties with China while protecting the island from being swallowed up politically by its giant communist neighbor.

Fireworks lit up the sky over Ma Ying-jeou’s headquarters, and cheering supporters put up victory posters before the former Taipei mayor climbed on stage and declared victory.

“People want a clean government instead of a corrupt one,” said Ma, also a former justice minister. “They want a good economy, not a sluggish one. They don’t want political feuding. They want peace across the Taiwan Strait. No war.”

Across town, a crying crowd gathered at the campaign office for ruling party candidate Frank Hsieh, a former premier.

“Don’t cry for me today,” Hsieh said in his concession speech. “Although we lost the election, we have a more important mission. The torch of democracy should not be extinguished.”

Ma won 58 percent of the votes compared with 41.5 percent for his challenger, according to the Central Election Commission. Turnout was 76 percent, the commission said.

Ma and Hsieh have both said they want a less confrontational relationship with China.

But they were divided on how best to deal with Beijing, which presents both a huge opportunity for the island’s powerful business community and a looming threat to its evolving democracy.

Taiwan and the mainland split amid civil war in 1949, but China still considers the island to be part of its territory.

Beijing has threatened to attack if Taiwan rejects unification and seeks a permanent break.

China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported on Ma’s victory in what it called the island’s “leadership election” — reflecting Beijing’s refusal to recognize Taiwan’s government.

The Central Election Commission also said two referendums calling on the government to work for the island’s entry into the United Nations failed.

China had warned that the referendums threatened stability in the region.