Democrats in Taiwan and their supporters overseas were delighted with the re-election of President Tsai Ing-wen last week.
Tsai crushed the opposition candidate, Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu, to claim a second four-year term. Equally important, her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) retained control of the Legislative Yuan, even though it lost several seats in the assembly.
Celebrations were restrained, however, and with good reason: The DPP win was not just a defeat for the opposition Kuomintang, but also for Beijing. It will force the Chinese leadership to reassess its policy toward the island, and also Hong Kong. The results may not be to those Democrats' liking.