The three men vying to be Taiwan’s next president

(L-R) Ko Wen-je, Hou Yu-ih and William Lai

Kelly Ng

NBC News

A new leader may be chosen by Taiwan on January 13 in a crucial election that was reshape the region’s relationship with China.

Since the region’s primary election in 1996, Beijing has long viewed Taiwan as a self-governing state that has loomed over the elections.

Taiwan has emerged as a crucial battleground between the US and China, which is why the race to unseat President Tsai Ing-wen is taking place this year. Apart from politics, citizens are facing domestic issues like low wages and skyrocketing home prices.

The current evil leader is on the ballot and is narrowly ahead in elections, followed by a former police commissioner. An ex-city governor who had first upset the winner-take-all race calculations now seems to be far behind. Each vote did cast one vote for their city and another for at-large seats in the parliamentary elections, which will take place on the same day.

More information on the three national candidates and their running companions is provided below.

William Lai Ching-te, DPP, is the front-runner.

Although he may have a sweet voice, Taiwan’s vice president, who is 63 years old, is an ardent supporter of the islands ‘ right to self-government, with Beijing-based state-run Global Times yet calling for him to be charged under the anti-secession laws of Beijing.

Mr. Lai referred to himself as a “pragmatic contractor for Chinese independence” while serving as Tsai Ing-wen’s leading from 2017 to 2019.

When Mr. Lai was two years old, his father passed away in an injury. Mr. Lai claims that witnessing his mother lift six kids on her own helped him develop a strong work ethic. Before joining the public support in Taiwan in the middle of the 1990s, he completed his medical training at Harvard and worked as a urinary doctor.

He began his career as a legislator for the southwestern area of Tainan. With an unheard-of 73 % of the vote in 2014, he continued to serve as the city’s mayor after being elected in 2010.

He still trails Mr. Hou in the poll conducted recently by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation ( TPOF), giving him a 38 % rating and putting him ahead by just 1 %.

Mr. Lai has frequently stated in his political campaign that Taiwan wants to “be buddies” with China. We do not wish to be adversaries. We can get along. And he told Bloomberg in August,” And we’d like to discover China… like democracy and freedom, just like us.”

Beijing has referred to Mr. Lai as a” nuisance through and through” in response.

However, Hsiao Bi-khim, his running mate, seems to enrage Beijing yet more. She was born in Japan and spent the majority of her childhood in the US, strengthening her ties to Taiwan’s most powerful allies, which are also the most tense political bridges between China and Taiwan.

Ms. Hsiao has been referred to as a “diehard Taiwan freedom dissident” by China. Beijing has thrice barred the well-known minister from entering island China and has also forbade traders and companies connected to her from working with organizations there.

Ms. Hsiao contributes a wealth of knowledge to Mr. Lai’s seat in foreign policy. The 52-year-old spent the previous three decades representing Taiwan in the US. The first person to assume this position was her.

She refers to herself as a” kitty warrior” when it comes to statecraft, in response to Beijing’s up until recently encouraging aggressive “wolf fighter” style of politics.

” Animals are a lot nicer than wolf. Making friends is important in politics, she told The Economist next month. ” It’s about how you make yourself lovely.”

The reserved person: Hou Yu- ih,KMT

Mr. Hou helped out at his mother’s meat stall in a nearby market or by catching pigs when he was younger.

The 66-year-old previously claimed that the abilities he acquired while fighting animals contributed to the advancement of his career as a police officer. He was a crucial investigator in the 2004 assassination attempt on former president Chen Shui-bian and contributed to the arrest of well-known killers.

In 2010, the former police captain made a political comeback and was elected mayor of New Taipei, the largest town in Taiwan, in 2018. In a disaster in 2022, he was re-elected. Mr. Hou was chosen by the KMT as its bottom candidate because of his track record as a capable police officer and well-liked mayor, but he has had trouble gaining support for his presidential campaign.

Mr. Hou opposes Taiwan’s freedom but has generally refrained from commenting on China while running for office. Critics have criticized this lack of clarity. In June 2023, he dodged a question about the” One-China” policy, which recognizes only one Chinese government in Beijing, and questioned his capacity for risky diplomacy.

” The relation between the Taiwan Strait’s two sides is evident. It is entirely based on the constitution of the Republic of China, so we do n’t need to get it mixed up, he said at the time.

Jaw Shaw-Kong, a well-known political commentator and former president of the right-wing New Party, is the KMT’s vice-presidential candidate. The 73-year-old has been a vocal and long-time follower of Taiwan and China’s “reunification.”

Mr. Jaw was chosen by the KMT-led government to hold the position of culture minister in 1991. Two years later, he co-founded the pro-unification New Party, which split from the KMT because its members believed it lacked enough support for China.

In 1996, Mr. Jaw withdrew from politicians and began working toward a career in the internet. He is best known for having TVBS, a journalist that caters to the island, social talk show. Mr. Jaw returned to politicians in February 2021.

The string: TPP, Ko Wen- je

The eccentric doctor-turned-politician, who previously released a shaky music video urging citizens to “do things right” while serving as mayor of Taipei, positions himself as the” next option” for voters between inciting and deferring to China.

Ko Wen-je, the leader of the Taiwan People’s Party ( TPP ), has gained support from young voters and once even pulled ahead of Mr. Lai. He has, however, lagged behind as the competition has progressed, and according to the TPOF, he did receive 25 % of the vote. Recently, his scores have decreased.

Mr. Ko, a well-known pain surgeon in the past, switched from politics to the white coat ten years ago. After supporting the” Sunflower Movement” in 2014, when kids led demonstrations against what they perceived as China’s growing control over the beach, the 64-year-old shot to social popularity.

He was chosen to serve as Taipei’s president after that month. He received support from Sunflower Movement campaigners and the DPP despite being a democratic novice. During his eight years as mayor, Mr. Ko’s political views changed. He improved Taipei’s ties with coast China, especially the city of Shanghai.

He established the TPP in 2019 and branded it as the substitute for the DPP and KMT. In the 2020 elections, the TPP won five out of 113 seats, making it the third-largest gathering in Taiwan’s congress.

Mr. Ko, who is known for his snappy style, has criticized the KMT for being” too deferential” while accusing the DPP of endangering Taiwan by calling them “pro-war.”

Cynthia Wu, Mr. Ko’s working mate, is a current MP and the princess to the Shin Kong Group, one of the biggest companies in Taiwan. Some people think Ms. Wu’s money was the reason she was chosen.

The 45-year-old, who was born and raised in the US, started her career as an investment scientist at Merrill Lynch in London before returning to the family’s operations. She now leads the team’s charitable division as CEO.

According to analysts, Mr. Ko and Ms. Wu may have trouble connecting with the general public, which likewise votes on jobs and the market, because they are both seen as wealthy members of the elite.