Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou's ruling Kuomintang suffered a crushing defeat in key municipal elections on Nov. 29, forcing Ma to step down as the party's chairman. Though Ma still has about 18 months before his presidential term ends, his power will inevitably erode.
Ma's administration had been putting a lot of muscle into expanding relations with China. So the Kuomintang's drubbing at the polls is likely to put the brakes on the deepening of cross-Strait ties. The election outcome is also expected to have repercussions throughout Northeast Asia.
