ISLAMABAD, January 16. /TASS/. An invasion of Taiwan by Chinese troops will be unlikely as long as the status quo remains, with most countries recognizing Taiwan as one of China's provinces, Muneeb Salman, a research associate at the Islamabad Institute of Strategic Studies, has told TASS.

"The probability of China’s intervention on Taiwan remains low as long as the status quo is maintained," the expert said. He explained that declaring Taiwan's independence or abandoning the "One China" policy, which most countries adhere to, is Beijing's red line. Any attempt to cross it could provoke the Chinese authorities to take decisive action. However, as Salman emphasized, the island's administration is unlikely to afford such a "bold step," given the results of the parliamentary elections.

On January 13, Taiwan held elections of the head of the local government and members of the Legislative Yuan (legislature). The incumbent deputy head of the administration, Lai Ching-te, of the Democratic Progressive Party, won the election (40.05% of votes). The opposition recognized its defeat.

Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after being defeated in the Chinese Civil War. Since then, Taipei has retained the flag and some other attributes of the former Republic of China that existed on the mainland before the Communists came to power. According to Beijing's official position, supported by most countries, including Russia, it is one of China's provinces.