Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan’s president, is challenged by a former underling

  • 📰 TheEconomist
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 71 sec. here
  • 3 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 32%
  • Publisher: 92%

United States Headlines News

United States Latest News,United States Headlines

Tsai Ing-wen is well-liked abroad for her reluctance to pick fights with China. But she is not popular at home in Taiwan

female president, Tsai Ing-wen is a trailblazer. She is well-liked abroad for her reluctance to pick fights with China. But she is not popular at home. Recent polls put her approval rating below 30%. Her bid for re-election next year, already iffy, just got iffier. Lai Ching-te, her former prime minister, has declared that he will challenge Ms Tsai for the presidential nomination of the Democratic Progressive Party .

“Taiwan doesn’t want to be a second Hong Kong or Tibet,” declared Mr Lai as he registered for the primary this week, insinuating that Ms Tsai is not doing enough to ensure Taiwan’s independence. Thewas thrashed in municipal elections in November by the Kuomintang , the main opposition party, which advocates warmer relations with China. Voters seemed disappointed that Ms Tsai’s efforts to stimulate the economy have had scant success. Growth is slowing. Wages have been stagnant for decades.

Ms Tsai’s supporters, meanwhile, are arguing that the primary could split the party and are making agonised calls for unity, by which they seem to mean Mr Lai’s withdrawal. Chen Chi-mai, the deputy prime minister and a supporter of Ms Tsai, argued in a Facebook post that China’s growing assertiveness makes divisions within the party especially dangerous. “The 2020 election will determine whether Taiwan survives or is extinguished,” he said.

Inevitably, China will be front and centre in the campaign. The authorities across the Taiwan Strait probably revile Mr Lai even more than they do Ms Tsai. That might encourage them to ease the pressure on Taiwan a bit over the next few months. The Chinese government knows from experience that attempts to intimidate Taiwanese voters tend to backfire, prompting them to back the candidate most hostile to its cherished goal of reunification.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 6. in US

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Taiwan president to visit Hawaii amid China pressureTaiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will visit Hawaii next week on a tour of diplomati... Like absolutely no one noticed the 2 triangles piercing her brain. Sure... 蔡省长又要出去跪舔卖笑了
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »

China urges U.S. to block Taiwan leader's Hawaii stop-overChina urged the United States on Thursday not to allow Taiwan President Tsai Ing... Why? 不行!臺灣人不可!中國人才可以去夏威夷!
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »

Banca d'Italia orders client stop at ING in fight against money launderingThe Italian central bank on Saturday said Dutch lender ING is not allowed to tak... 🔻Photo Report 🌐 Islamic»State ShamWilayah -Barakah 📷Aspects of the≈Confrontations with≈the PKK Murtaddin≈in the Town≈of Baghouz 🔸 FACup 🔸
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »

Taiwan’s Leader Tries to Hold On to Allies in Tug of War With ChinaTo counter China’s squeeze on Taiwan’s few remaining diplomatic partners, the self-ruled island’s leader, President Tsai Ing-wen, is expected to offer more aid and investment as she embarks on a tour of Pacific countries.
Source: WSJ - 🏆 98. / 63 Read more »

In Tug of War With China, Taiwan Fights to Avoid Being Deserted in the PacificTo counter China’s squeeze on Taiwan’s few remaining diplomatic partners, the self-ruled island’s leader, President Tsai Ing-wen, is expected to offer more aid and investment as she embarks on a tour of Pacific countries. They are the real China with the mainland under communist occupation. XHNews PDChina China needs to loosen its authoritarian griP on many regions on the Planet and shelve the CPEC . BJP4India The USA screwed Taiwan, one of our best Allies, big time.
Source: WSJ - 🏆 98. / 63 Read more »

Cox: Really, no one else will bid for Commerzbank?Berlin’s blessing of M&A talks with Deutsche may scare off interlopers. But Germany’s number two offers ING, UniCredit, Santander and others a unique chance to expand in the largest euro zone economy – and perhaps eventually move their HQs to Frankfurt to gain other goodies.
Source: Breakingviews - 🏆 470. / 51 Read more »

Taiwan president to visit Hawaii amid China pressureTaiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will visit Hawaii next week on a tour of diplomati... Like absolutely no one noticed the 2 triangles piercing her brain. Sure... 蔡省长又要出去跪舔卖笑了
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »

Opinion | The biggest challenge for Ukraine’s next presidentThe next president will have to build up parliamentary support for reform but also must focus on limiting the power of government at all levels. What challenge? Just a figure head in a decades old game of chess. Stopping the nazis in Ukraine. Part of that challenge is due to the devastating damage PutinPuppet & Trumpanzee PaulManafort inflicted during his tenure with former Kremlin-installed Ukraine President, Viktor Yanukovych...
Source: washingtonpost - 🏆 95. / 72 Read more »

'I am with you': President Trump signs executive order on free speech at college campusesThe order doesn't make clear how it differs from the protections already demanded of public universities by the First Amendment. What's clear is these universities don't believe in the 1st. Think of it like the hate bill the Dems passed because of Omar ... Because it's a shallow action meant not for reality but for Don the Con's already unhinged base.
Source: USATODAY - 🏆 100. / 63 Read more »