Chinese state media heaped pressure on Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday after her ruling pro-independence party suffered heavy defeats at local elections over the weekend, saying Beijing would seek cooperation with newly elected officials.
Tsai resigned on Saturday as chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) after losing key battleground cities in mayoral polls to the China-friendly Kuomintang. The DPP now only controls six cities and counties to the Kuomintang's 15.
Han Kuo-yu, the Kuomintang's mayor-elect in the southern port city of Kaohsiung and the most high profile of the party's winners, said he would open the door to contacts with China.