2020 Taiwan Presidential Election - Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen wins a hotly-contested ruling party primary

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen has won a hotly-contested ruling party primary, setting up a likely campaign for re-election in January 2020

The pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) announced the results of the primary on Thursday and Tsai's nomination is almost certain to be ratified by the party next week

The presidential election is expected to take place in January 2020

The self-governing island split from China about 70 years ago at the end of the civil war and after years of authoritarian rule, it is now a thriving democracy

China has been ramping up military and diplomatic pressure to assert its sovereignty over the island, conducting drills near Taiwan and picking off its last few diplomatic allies

The Govt in Taipei has denounced China's actions as intimidation while Tsai has become more assertive in her dealings with the mainland

She has also shown her support for Hong Kong where an estimated one million people marched in opposition to a controversial bill that would enable suspects to be extradited to mainland China

The 15th President and Vice President election of the Republic of China is scheduled to be held on Jan 11,2020

The race for Taiwan's presidency grabbed headlines in April when Terry Gou, the billionaire chairman of Apple supplier Foxconn and the territory's richest man, announced he would seek the nomination for the China-friendly opposition Kuomintang (KMT). The party will choose its candidate in July 2019