In a historic election Saturday, Taiwanese voters gave Mr. Chen Shui-bian of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party a convincing victory. In electing Mr. Chen, the Taiwanese people defied threats from Beijing and brought an end to 50 years of Nationalist rule in Taiwan. His win in Taiwan's second democratic elections -- the most freely contested and the most competitive in China's history -- changes the political dynamic in China and poses important new challenges for the governments in Beijing, Tokyo and Washington. But the new president in Taiwan faces some unchanging realities as well, and they are as important as his history-making victory.

Mr. Chen, former mayor of Taipei, took 39 percent of the votes, beating Mr. James Soong Chu-yu, an independent, who won 37 percent, and Vice President Lien Chan of the Nationalist Party, who got only 23 percent. Mr. Chen can claim a mandate. Turnout was high: Nearly 83 percent of Taiwan's 15.46 million eligible voters cast ballots.

Their willingness to court Chinese anger testifies to the first immutable fact of this election. The Taiwanese people want to be the masters of their own destiny. Taiwan has developed the most democratic political system in Chinese history, and the Taiwanese are not going to give it up. After 50 years of Nationalist rule, the people of Taiwan demanded change. The voters wanted an end to the excesses and the corruption. They do not want war, but they are not going to be intimidated either.