Ma Ying-jeou wins second term as Taiwan president

Taiwan's President and presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou waves to supporters after casting his ballot in Taiwan's presidential elections Saturday, Jan 14, 2012, in Taipei, Taiwan. -- PHOTO: AP

TAIPEI (AFP) - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly leader Ma Ying-jeou secured a second four-year term as president on Saturday, promising better ties with China after an election watched intently by the United States.

The vote was seen as a signal of cautious support for 61-year-old Mr Ma's policies, which in his first term led to the most dramatic thaw in the island's ties with China since the two sides split more than six decades ago.

'We've won,' a jubilant Mr Ma told crowds of supporters gathered at his campaign headquarters in central Taipei. 'In the next four years, ties with China will be more harmonious and there will be more mutual trust and the chance of conflict is slimmer.'

China's official Xinhua news agency said Mr Ma's victory could offer a 'new opportunity' to improve relations and showed the Taiwanese people had backed peaceful development of ties with the mainland. The official final tally from the Central Election Commission showed Mr Ma won 51.6 per cent of the vote, with his main challenger Ms Tsai Ing-wen on 45.6 per cent.