New president Lai Ching-te to face divided parliament

A kid runs across the flag of Taiwan banner during the announcement of official results on January 13, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan. Sawayasu Tsuji | Getty Images News | Getty Images TAIPEI — Taiwan’s president-elect Lai Ching-te will face a split parliament that will likely moderate his policy agenda, with Taiwan People’s Party seen as … Read more

Taiwan’s New President Lai Ching-te: What You Need to Know

Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te won the island democracy’s presidential election on Saturday after his rivals conceded, keeping the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in control for a third term, despite warnings from China over his pro-sovereignty views.  Lai, 64, secured over 40% of the vote in the three-way race, outpacing his closest rival, Hou … Read more

Lai Ching-te Wins Taiwan’s Presidency, But Challenges Ahead

Taiwan’s presidential election campaign evolved early on into a classic three-way race. This supplied the dynamics for the most notable events, including the attempt to create a coalition last November to unit two of the contenders—the KMT Nationalists and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP)—to try and create an unassailable united front against the third, the … Read more

Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s president-elect, has steered the island toward democracy and away from China

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s president-elect, has vowed to safeguard the island’s de-facto independence from China and further align it with other democracies. Lai, 64, emerged victorious in elections Saturday on the island of 23 million people that China claims as its own. He is currently vice president with the Democratic Progressive Party, which … Read more

China skeptic Lai Ching-te wins presidential vote

Supporters of the Democratic Progressive party (DPP) await the announcement of official results at a rally on January 13, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan. Annabelle Chih | Getty Images News | Getty Images TAIPEI — Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party won an unprecedented third-straight presidential term, as incoming leader Lai Ching-te pledged to stay open-minded in … Read more

Who is Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s new president?

Comment on this storyCommentAdd to your saved storiesSave TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan has elected as its president Lai Ching-te, once a scrappy advocate for Taiwanese independence, now a key proponent of the Democratic Progressive Party’s efforts to maintain peace with Beijing while repelling its aggression. During the closely-fought race, Lai promised to work closely with … Read more

Taiwan presidential candidate Lai says he is willing to reopen talks with China

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan’s leading presidential candidate William Lai said Tuesday he hopes for a reopening of dialogue with China following almost eight years of Beijing’s near-complete refusal to communicate with leaders of the self-governing island it considers its own territory. But Lai told reporters he would continue the current administration’s policy of maintaining democratic … Read more

Hong Kong activist publisher Jimmy Lai pleads not guilty to sedition and collusion charges

HONG KONG — Prominent activist and publisher Jimmy Lai on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to three charges of sedition and collusion with foreign countries in a landmark national security trial in Hong Kong. Lai, a media tycoon who founded the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, faces one count of conspiring to print seditious publications to incite … Read more

Jimmy Lai: Hong Kong Media Mogul’s National Security Trial Begins

HONG KONG — A landmark national security trial opened Monday in Hong Kong for prominent activist publisher Jimmy Lai, who faces a possible life sentence if convicted under a law imposed by Beijing to crush dissidents. Lai, 76, was arrested in August 2020 during a crackdown on the city’s pro-democracy movement under the sweeping national … Read more

Son of jailed Hong Kong mogul Jimmy Lai lobbies UK foreign secretary for his release

LONDON — The son of jailed Hong Kong media mogul and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai met with Britain’s foreign secretary on Tuesday to lobby for the U.K.’s help in securing his release from prison. Lai, the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, an outspoken pro-democracy newspaper, faces a long-delayed trial next week over charges he … Read more