The Taiwanese are not afraid of Chinese threats. Lai Ching-te is the favorite in the presidential elections
A supporter of Taiwan’s independence from China is the favorite in the presidential elections. His rivals criticize Beijing’s unnecessary provocation, but they still lag far behind in the polls.
Neither Chinese naval maneuvers that pose a threat to Taiwan, nor threats of invasion or economic sanctions, nor attempts to discredit politicians emphasizing the island’s independence from communist China, apparently make much of an impression on Taiwanese voters. The latest polls show that the current vice president, Lai Ching-te, remains the favorite in the presidential elections scheduled for January.
The Harvard-educated doctor has been in politics for almost 25 years, promoting Taiwanese independence. More than 35 percent want to vote for Lai, who is also the chairman of the ruling DPP party. voters.
His main rival, the incumbent mayor of Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, can count on less than 18 percent. support. Hou Yu-ih is a former policeman and veteran of the KMT party, whose founders overthrew the empire in China in the early 20th century. They created the first republican government, which, after losing the civil war with Mao Tse-tung’s communists, evacuated to Taiwan, where the non-communist Republic of China, established in 1911, operates successfully as a democracy independent of Beijing.
