Taiwan, US: 'Solid commitment'. China: 'No to trade with Washington'. Nauru breaks off relations with Taipei

Taiwan "is still part of the 'One China'" despite Saturday's vote that saw William Lai, the current vice-president on autonomist positions, win the island's presidency, Chinese Foreign Ministry Wang Yi said.

The Taiwanese Defence Ministry reported detecting six aircraft and four Chinese military vessels around the island in the 24 hours up to 6am local time (11pm Sunday in Italy), as well as another balloon. While, of the aircraft detected, only one crossed the Taiwan Strait median line. The Taipei Armed Forces, reads a ministry note, 'monitored the situation and instructed for appropriate responses'.

China in fact continues to press. "Taiwan's regional elections are China's internal affair," said Mao Ning on the meetings between the US delegation and "regional leaders William Lai and Tsai Ing-wen". Therefore, 'we urge the US to recognise the extreme complexity and sensitivity of the Taiwan issue and to seriously respect the One China principle and the three joint Sino-US communiqués, implementing the promises made by US leaders not to support Taiwan independence and the two-China concept, and not to try to use the Taiwan issue as a means to contain China,' Mao concluded.

Meanwhile, Nauru closes diplomatic relations with Taiwan, leaving Taipei with just 12 official allies in the world. This was reported in a statement by the government of the small Pacific island-state announcing its official recognition of the People's Republic of China. According to Taiwanese media, Vice Minister Tien Chung-kwang will also hold a press conference on the subject shortly. Currently, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu is on a visit to Guatemala. With deep regret 'we announce the termination of diplomatic relations with Nauru. This timing is not only a retaliation by China against our democratic elections, but also a direct challenge to the international order'. This is what Taiwan's foreign ministry wrote in a note, confirming the severing of relations with the Pacific island. Taipei, however, 'remains undaunted and will continue to be a positive force'.

With the victory of William Lai (Lai Ching-te) in Taiwan's presidential election, Chinese leader Xi Jinping 'loses face' and Lai's triumph, with 40% of the vote, 'means that Xi's policy' on Taiwan 'has failed' and 'so now he has to do something to show his muscle'. Chen Fang-Yu of Taipei's Soochow University, quoted by the Washington Post, is convinced of this, while Lai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) knows it remains in power on the de facto independent island but without a majority in the Legislative Yuan. Taiwanese voters have made it clear, for the third consecutive time, that they "do not want a leader who kowtows" to the Asian giant and now Beijing "must work out a response", the newspaper writes after the unprecedented third term won by the Democratic Progressive Party, which has been in power for eight years. For the coming months, the prediction is that Beijing will intensify its 'work' of 'intimidation' against Taiwan, including military and economic pressure. Not to mention politics.