Taiwan’s pro-China opposition were savouring their landslide election win on Sunday, hoping the momentum will carry over to presidential polls in March and lead to closer ties with the mainland.

The Kuomintang Party, which insists that better relations with China will help the island’s stuttering economy, crushed the ruling party of President Chen Shui-bian, whose hardline stance on Beijing appeared to turn off voters.

Chen stepped down as head of the Democratic Progressive Party on Saturday after the drubbing at the polls, but wasted no time Sunday lashing out at China.

“China shows no signs that it will ease its military threats, diplomatic suppression and two-handed economic strategy on Taiwan,” Chen said.

“China is intensifying its ‘dollar diplomacy’ attacks on Taiwan and using all means possible to take away our allies. We cannot sit back passively... we have to set out for the international community to see Taiwan.”