The Democratic Progressive Party's heavy defeat in the elections should awaken the Tsai administration from its illusions. Taking the initiative to quit her job as chair of the DPP, Tsai, who had exhausted her means to beg for United States' protection and endorsement, must have also realized it is not only her economic policies, but also her separatist stance that has lost her the support of the people on the island, according to a China Daily editorial.

Despite Beijing's cooperative stance, Tsai's wheeler-dealer denial of the 1992 Consensus has forced cross-Straits ties into a deadlock. The Tsai administration's secessionist stance has not only soured its crucial relations with the Chinese mainland, but also made it unpopular with people on both sides of the straits.

The election shows that the Tsai administration has betrayed Taiwan's interests and become a troublemaker whose actions have drifted farther away from the practical needs of the Taiwan people and the historical truth of the consensus that there is only one China. This has led to the administration encountering a cold shoulder whenever it has tried to wrangle any kind of recognition for a separate status for the island within the international community.

Cross-Straits communication and cooperation between local governments are expected to be strengthened as a result of the election, which will bring more opportunities and help deepen mutual understanding, the editorial said.