On January 13, Lai Ching-te was elected president of Taiwan. His win may have implications for global politics.

You win some, you lose some

Mr. Lai is the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). He won just over 40 percent of the vote. But his party lost seats in parliament. Now it holds less than half. That will make it harder for Mr. Lai to pass new policies.

But the People's Republic of China (PRC) may be a bigger problem. It lies just 160 kilometres away, across the Taiwan Strait.