In Taiwan's upset election, a complicated message for Beijing

When Han Kuo-yu is sworn in later this month as the new mayor of Kaohsiung, Taiwan's second-largest city, he will be the first politician from the China-friendly Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT) to govern the municipality in 20 years. His victory was the single biggest upset in last week’s midterm elections on the island, sending a message to Beijing and beyond that Taiwan may have lurched closer to China.

As the historic cradle of “green” politics that champions Taiwan's independence, Kaohsiung was considered “deep green,” a prize many assumed the KMT could not