Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou may slow down an aggressive push for improved ties with China after the island's voters showed disquiet with his policies in local elections, analysts said.
Seventeen counties and cities were contested in Saturday's poll, and Ma's Kuomintang (KMT) party lost control of two, while the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which favours formal independence, gained one.
"Ma will have to adjust or slow down the pace of his policy of boosting China ties," said Hsu Yung-ming, a political scientist at Soochow University in Taipei.
The election was widely seen as a proxy referendum on Ma's performance since he assumed office in May 2008, ending eight years in opposition for the KMT.
For China, better relations ultimately end with Taiwan as a province of China. Perhaps there is a growing realization of that simple fact.
Mid-term elections can compel mid-course corrections. It's good to remember that.
