Tsai Ing-wen

“On behalf of our people, let me congratulate Ing-wen for winning the presidency seat with 56.1 per cent of the vote.

“As a counterpart, we are impressed with the outstanding performance of her Democratic Progressive party which won 68 of the 113 seats compared to the Nationalist party’s 35 in the election,” Polye said.

He said the PNG Opposition will learn lessons from the landmark victory which Ing-wen, as an Opposition Leader, achieved in claiming the presidential seat.

He added that both countries shared similarities in democracy.

The ruling Nationalist Party on Sunday picked as its candidate Hung Hsiu-chu, a former teacher and the current deputy legislative speaker. Hung, who supports friendly relations with China, will run against Tsai Ing-wen, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party chairwoman and an advocate of more cautious relations with Beijing. Tsai leads in opinion polls ahead of January's election.

Ties with Beijing, long icy but cordial since 2008, have shaped up as an early campaign issue.