Lai Ching-te file photo
Credit: Reuters Photo
Taiwan's ruling party candidate Lai Ching-te, also known as William, won the presidential election on Saturday.
Ching-te, who is labeled as an “instigator of war" for the presidency by China, has emerged as a face to save democracy in Taiwan, which is involved in a conflict with Beijing, reported Mint.
In this article, we'll discuss about the five major things you need to know about Lai Ching-te.
1) Democratic Progressive Party candidate William Lai Ching-te faced off against two opponents in the election - Hou of the KMT, and Ko Wen-je - a former mayor of Taipei who was a member of the small Taiwan People's Party. He is well-known for standing firmly against China and advocating for democracy.
2) The Democratic Progressive Party, led by Lai, has consistently supported Taiwan's independent identity and publicly rejected China's territorial claims. But he has consistently emphasised throughout the campaign that he has no plans to declare independence, according to The Washington Post. Furthermore, he stated that Taiwan does not need to formally separate from China because it is already sovereign under its official name, the Republic of China.
3) Lai, during the elections, pledged to work closely with America in order to strengthen Taiwan's defence forces. This comes at a time when Chinese military harassment of the island nation is on the rise.
4) Lai served as Taiwan's vice president from 2020 until his victory in the most recent presidential election. He identified himself in 2017 as a "pragmatic worker for Taiwanese independence" and as someone who supports fortifying ties not only with America but also with other liberal democracies. However, over due course of time, Lai has distanced himself from his firm stance against China.
5) Lai represents separatism, and a threat to China's relations with Taiwan. Beijing has called him a "dangerous separatist" on several occasions. Beijing, which had expressed concern that Lai's election may lead to hostilities, would suffer a setback if the Democratic Progressive Party secures a record third consecutive term in power. US President Joe Biden has promised to protect Taiwan from any invasion. On the other hand, China views Taiwan as a breakaway province that it will reclaim one day.