Taiwan’s representative to the United States, Shen Lyu-shun says Taiwan’s foreign policy will not be affected by the outcome of the recent local elections. The ruling Kuomintang won only six of the 22 city and county chief positions in the elections last Saturday.
Shen was quoted Wednesday in the US News and World Report as saying he did not think the elections were a referendum on President Ma Ying-jeou’s policies. He also “brushes away reports that the Taiwanese people are concerned about what they may or may not perceive as an encroaching relationship with China.” Shen said that the bulk of the criticism aimed at the Ma administration has been over domestic issues such as food safety.
The article also said that Shen did not agree with reports which said that the election outcome could affect cross-strait relations during President Ma’s final two years in office.