With Saturday’s presidential election fast approaching, voters should assess the three presidential candidates from four main aspects.
First, they should consider who has the characteristics of a national leader. As Taiwan faces the threat of annexation by China, only Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate, has the essential virtues of calmness, rationality, persistence, courage and wisdom that make him fit to lead the nation and forge the unity needed to resist annexation by China and safeguard Taiwan’s democracy. Lai has demonstrated these characteristics in responding to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) insistence on “one country, two systems.”
Second, cross-strait relations, foreign relations and national defense are three areas of national policy for which the president is directly responsible and which exercises a great influence on Taiwan’s future. Lai is familiar with the workings of international relations. He knows how to unite with international partners to bolster Taiwan’s defense capabilities, and he has helped President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) achieve Taiwan’s domestic construction of ships and submarines. This accomplishment gives Taiwan the ability to resist annexation by China, while never intentionally escalating cross-strait relations in a way that could lead to a regional conflict.
Given China’s eagerness to annex Taiwan, we have no time to wait for a president who is unfamiliar with national defense and foreign relations to gradually get up to speed. What Taiwan needs is someone who is well-versed in foreign and defense policies to hit the ground running.
The third aspect to consider is US trust and support. Tsai’s calm rationality in maintaining the cross-strait “status quo” and the intersecting interests of Taiwan and the US has led Washington to thoroughly trust Taipei. It has inspired the US Congress to pass laws such as the Taiwan Travel Act, the Taiwan Assurance Act and provisions favorable to Taiwan in the National Defense Authorization Act that have considerably upgraded Taiwan-US relations.
Lai would be the best person to take up the baton from Tsai. He has a far better grasp and understanding of the complex relations between the US, China and Taiwan than his rivals — the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
Furthermore, the KMT’s China-friendly actions are likely to cause the US, which is a
counterbalance to China, to be unable to help Taiwan.
The fourth aspect is national policy planning ability. With regard to ability and experience in national policies such as finance, the economy, social welfare and new sources of energy, Lai is incomparably stronger than Ko and Hou, who between them have marginal experience.
During the past three-and-a-half years in which Lai has served as vice president, he has instituted numerous reforms. He has had a hand in raising the gross national product and minimum wage, laying the foundation for new energy sources and a social welfare system and building unprecedentedly close relations with the US, Japan and other countries.
From these four aspects, Lai is undoubtedly the best choice as Taiwan’s next president.
This presidential election will have a major influence on Taiwan’s future. When voters go to the polls on Saturday, they should set aside party political standpoints and ideology and focus on who is most able to safeguard Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy and lead its development.
Michael Lin is a retired diplomat who served in posts in the US.
Translated by Julian Clegg
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