Taiwan's Presidential Hopeful Lai Ching Te Vows Status Quo With Emphasis On Peace With China Through Strength

Taiwan’s ruling party presidential candidate, Lai Ching Te, has pledged to keep the status quo while promoting peace through strength, as he remains open to discussions with Beijing in terms of equality and dignity.

What Happened: Lai Ching Te, the candidate for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), underscored the importance of peaceful development to both sides and the world. He promised to attempt engagement with China to reduce cross-strait risks, Reuters reported.

However, Lai also iterated that accepting China’s one-principle proposition does not amount to true peace. He compared peace without sovereignty to the situation in Hong Kong, calling it “fake peace”.

Both the DPP and Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), have pledged to strengthen Taiwan’s defenses. They agree that Taiwan’s future should solely be decided by its 23 million people, with the KMT strongly opposing independence.

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Lai further emphasized the necessity of winning a parliamentary majority to effectively respond to challenges from China and domestic issues. He pledged to continue the policy direction of incumbent president Tsai Ing-wen, who has also repeatedly offered talks with China.

Lai also expressed his commitment to fortifying Taiwan’s military and economic strength if elected, amid escalating geopolitical tensions. He stressed, “The pursuit of peace relies on strength, not the goodwill of the aggressor.”

His running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim, highlighted the need for Taiwan to maintain its competitiveness and key position in global supply chains in the face of a restructuring global economy.

Lai concluded by stating the election will serve as a testament to Taiwan’s commitment to democracy, while also noting that China’s alleged interference in this election has been the “most serious” yet.

Why It Matters: The electoral promise comes amid escalating tensions with China. In the lead-up to the elections. China’s call to Taiwan to make the "correct choice" for peace and prosperity.

This was followed by China ramping up trade sanction threats against Taiwan if it continues supporting independence.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has accelerated the delivery of F-16s to Taiwan in response to these rising tensions.

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