Lai Ching-te

Lai and Hou Focus on Cross-Strait Relations, Ko on Appeals to Youth in First Presidential Policy Presentation

Brian Hioe
The first presidential policy presentation took place on December 20th. The format is not strictly a debate, as it offers more limited opportunities for exchanges between presidential candidates. Nevertheless, it usually amounts to a de facto debate, and candidates usually do attack each other in the course of the policy presentation...
December 2023EnglishPolitics8 min read

What Do the Vice Presidential Choices Indicate About 2024 Elections?

Brian Hioe
Controversy has broken out about the DPP and TPP vice presidential candidates regarding allegations about whether they hold US citizenship. In particular, the DPP is fielding former representative to the US, Hsiao Bikhim, as its vice presidential candidate. On the other hand, the TPP is fielding legislator Cynthia Wu as its vice presidential candidate. The KMT is fielding pan-Blue firebrand and media personality Jaw Shaw-kong as their vice presidential candidate, though he has not become embroiled in any citizenship controversy...
December 2023EnglishPolitics7 min read

Candidates Propose Healthcare Policies Ahead of Elections

Brian Hioe
Ahead of the January elections, Taiwanese presidential candidates have begun to outline the steps they would take to improve the healthcare system. This takes place even as all candidates are largely in agreement that Taiwan faces fundamental demographic issues regarding its declining birthrate and rising elderly population. As such, the proposed measures take place within this context...
EnglishPoliticsSeptember 20234 min read

Hou You-yi Travels to the US, Emphasizes Similar Policies to Tsai

Brian Hioe
KMT presidential candidate Hou You-yi recently traveled to the US. Taiwanese presidential candidates traditionally travel to the US ahead of elections. This is not only to meet with US government officials and conduct meetings, but to meet with wealthy members of the Taiwanese diaspora that live in the US, so as to solicit campaign funds. TPP presidential candidate Ko visited the US in April, while independent presidential candidate Terry Gou visited both in April and in late July. Ko has announced another trip for October. DPP presidential candidate William Lai visited the US in September...
America and the Asia PacificEnglishInternationalPoliticsSeptember 20235 min read

One-Day Uptick in Chinese Military Activity Observed After Lai Transit

Brian Hioe
China launched another set of military drills after vice president William Lai returned from his trip to the US and Paraguay. Lai’s trip involved a stopover in San Francisco and New York City. Though the ostensible main purpose of the trip was to attend the presidential inauguration of Paraguayan president Santiago Peña, there was greater attention to the sensitivity of Lai’s transit through the US, given the possibility of a reaction from China...
August 2023EnglishInternationalPoliticsRegional Tensions6 min read

As China Uses Lai Trip as Pretext for Exercises, Will the Drills be Blown Out of Proportion Internationally?

Brian Hioe
The Chinese government has announced that it will conduct military exercises in the East China Sea starting today until the 14th, in an area approximately 500 kilometers away from Taiwan. Yesterday morning, the Zhejiang Maritime Safety Administration announced a no-sail order lasting from 12 PM today until 4 PM on August 14th in the area the exercises are slated to take place...
August 2023EnglishInternationalPoliticsRegional Tensions6 min read