If William Lai is wise, he will focus as president on winning over disaffected voters. China's actions, on the other hand, are hardly dependent on Lai, writes HS's China correspondent Matilda Jokinen.
If On Saturday, an election between peace and war was held in Taiwan, war won and it has the face of a man in his sixties. They belong Lai Ching-te i.e. William Laille, 64.
William Lai of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is now not only the current Vice President of Taiwan Taiwan's next president. His career has also included other political positions, for example as prime minister, mayor of Tainan and member of parliament.
In practice, of course, Lai did not campaign by declaring war. But China considers Lai, who emphasizes Taiwanese identity, to be a separatist and troublemaker. Xi Jinping considers that the self-governing island is part of China and will be inexorably annexed to its mother country.
I win it has been feared that it will further increase tensions in the Taiwan Strait. However, the looming superpower is not Lai's only problem when he takes office in May. There are plenty of high tensions inside Taiwan as well.
In his victory speech, Lai declared that Taiwan has shown the world that between democracy and authoritarianism, it stands on the side of democracy. However, the law's own democratic mandate remained tenuous.
The majority of the people did not vote for Lai, but wanted change. In a hypothetical runoff, he would likely have lost.
However, in Taiwan, presidential races are decided once.
Lai built his election campaign strongly after ruling Taiwan for the last eight years Tsai Ing-wen about. As a result, his approval rating in the presidential election was about as high as the Tsai government's December polls.
Instead, Lai fell far short of Tsai's election result four years ago, which has enabled the DPP administration to have full labor peace for the past four years.
For many for supporters of the Democratic Progressive Party, Lai is a bit like Joe Biden For the US Democrats – does not arouse great passions, but prevents a worse alternative.
“No one would want to be William Lai's best friend”, described the attitudes of an assistant professor who teaches politics in Taipei Lev Nachman.
Law the win was won by an aptly chosen pair of horns, Taiwan's former ambassador to the United States Hsiao Bi-khim. It's rare to hear that voters are as excited about a vice presidential candidate.
Hsiao's charisma seemed to save votes that Lai might not have won alone.
An even greater help to Lai was likely to be the candidate of the Taiwan Workers' Party Ko Wen-je, who entered the presidential race outside the traditional two-party system. The black stallion did not manage to ride to victory, but split Taiwan's opposition in two, garnering 26 percent of the vote.
Still in the fall, Ko and the presidential candidate of the main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT). Hou Yu-ih negotiated the electoral alliance. However, no consensus was reached on who would be satisfied with the vice president's wash.
Thus, the opposition's great electoral victory in the parliamentary elections was not reflected in the results of the presidential elections. Instead, it will be reflected in the president's work after he takes office.
Lai's job may become difficult, and Ko may also continue to confuse the situation through his party's MPs.
Poll is always a victory for democracy in the end. A large drop in support is a warning sign.
If Lai is wise, he will urgently consider how to appease the masses of voters who have been disillusioned with the policies of the Democratic Progressive Party for the past four years.
The amount of Ko's support showed that there was an order for the protest candidate. The same groups that are dissatisfied with current politics are also susceptible to China's information influence.
Fragmented the voting result makes many eyes turn to 2028. Then Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party are believed to be in trouble.
Before that, the China issue continues to hover over the Taiwan Strait.
Lai has assured that he will maintain the current balance. China's intentions, on the other hand, are hardly primarily dependent on the Law. In Xi's position, you can create plans bigger than one election result.
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