Taiwan residents have expressed mixed reactions to the mainland's change in leadership.
But officials and scholars on the island are likely to be breathing a sigh of relief as Beijing has finally carried out a transition of power without significant upheaval and turmoil.
Tsai Ing-wen, who chairs Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, said: 'We are happy to witness a peaceful and smooth transition of power.
'From past experiences we can conclude that when there is political chaos on the mainland there is more pressure on the leaders to support a hardline Taiwan policy so as to unite the people and shift their attention,' said Professor Chang Ling-chen of the National Taiwan University.
There had been speculation in Taiwan of a power struggle among the mainland's leadership in the run-up to the party congress, but little conflict was evident in the transition.
Like China observers elsewhere, China watchers in Taipei noted the strong support for President Jiang Zemin among the new leadership, and predicted his policies towards the island would remain unchanged for the foreseeable future.
Professor Chao Chien-min, a political scholar with National Chengchi University in Taipei, said: 'Jiang Zemin has apparently made sure that his various policies, including that of Taiwan affairs, will be carried out by his successor by inserting several of his proteges into the powerful Politburo.'
