Lai Ching‑te
賴清德
Official portrait, 2020
12th Vice President of the Republic of China
Assumed office
20 May 2020
PresidentTsai Ing-wen
Preceded byChen Chien-jen
Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party
Assumed office
18 January 2023
Secretary GeneralHsu Li-ming
Preceded byChen Chi-mai (acting)
29th Premier of the Republic of China
In office
8 September 2017 – 14 January 2019
PresidentTsai Ing-wen
Vice PremierShih Jun-ji
Preceded byLin Chuan
Succeeded bySu Tseng-chang
2nd Mayor of Tainan
In office
25 December 2010 – 7 September 2017
DeputyHsu He-chun
Preceded byHsu Tain-tsair
Succeeded byLi Meng-yen (acting)
Member of the Legislative Yuan
In office
1 February 2008 – 25 December 2010
ConstituencyTainan 2
In office
1 February 1999 – 31 January 2008
ConstituencyTainan City
Personal details
Born (1959-10-06) 6 October 1959
Wanli, Taiwan
Political partyDemocratic Progressive Party
SpouseWu Mei-ju
Children2
EducationNational Taiwan University (BS)
National Cheng Kung University (MD)
Harvard University (MPH)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese賴清德
Simplified Chinese赖清德

Lai Ching-te[1] (Chinese: 賴清德; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Loā Chheng-tek; born 6 October 1959), also known as William Lai, is a Taiwanese politician and a former physician who has been the vice president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) since 2020. He served as a legislator in the Legislative Yuan from 1999 to 2010, and as Mayor of Tainan from 2010 to 2017, prior to taking office as premier of Taiwan.[2]

Born in Taipei County, Lai studied rehabilitation and public health at universities in Taipei, ultimately obtaining a Master’s degree from Harvard University in 2003. After serving as the president of the National Physician Support Association, Lai ran in the 1996 Legislative Yuan election, winning a seat representing Tainan City. After being re-elected to the Legislative Yuan four consecutive times, Lai ran for Mayor of Tainan in 2010. Lai easily won, and would serve as Mayor for seven years, winning reelection in 2014. In September 2017, President Tsai Ing-wen announced Lai would replace outgoing Premier Lin Chuan.

On 24 November 2018, he announced his intention to resign from the premiership after the Democratic Progressive Party suffered a major defeat in local elections, and left office on 14 January 2019 after the swearing-in of his successor Su Tseng-chang.[3][4] Lai mounted a challenge against Tsai in the 2019 Democratic Progressive Party presidential primary and after defeat, served as the running mate of Tsai in the 2020 Taiwan presidential election in which the tandem was victorious.[5][6] In April 2023, Lai was nominated by the DPP as their presidential candidate for the 2024 Taiwan presidential election.

Early life and career

Born in Wanli, a rural coastal town in northern Taipei County (now New Taipei City) on 6 October 1959, Lai underwent schooling in Taipei City and studied at both National Cheng Kung University in Tainan and National Taiwan University in Taipei, where he specialized in rehabilitation.[7] Lai then studied at the Harvard School of Public Health for a Master's degree in Public Health,[7] followed by an internship at National Cheng Kung University Hospital. He became an expert on spinal cord damage and served as a national consultant for such injuries.[7]

Legislative career

After serving as part of the support team for Chen Ding-nan's unsuccessful electoral bid for Governor of Taiwan Province in 1994,[8] Lai decided to enter politics himself. The next opportunity for election to a national body was the 1996 National Assembly, with Lai winning a seat representing Tainan City. Lai then joined the New Tide faction and stood as a candidate in the 1998 Legislative Yuan election, representing the Democratic Progressive Party in the second ward of Tainan City.[9][7] He was successful in this election, and subsequently was reelected three times in 2001, 2004, and 2008. In total he served 11 years as a legislator, and was selected as Taiwan's "Best Legislator" four times in a row by Taipei-based NGO Citizen Congress Watch.[10]

Mayor of Tainan (2010–2017)

Lai as Mayor of Tainan, 2017.

With the 2010 reorganization of the municipalities in Taiwan, Tainan City and Tainan County were amalgamated into a single municipality, called Tainan. After successfully being selected in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) primaries in January 2010,[11] Lai stood as the DPP candidate for the mayoral election on 27 November 2010, gaining 60.41% to defeat Kuomintang candidate Kuo Tien-tsai.[12][13] He took office on 25 December 2010.

As a result of his strong showing in the mayoral election coupled with his relative youth and his control of the DPP heartland city of Tainan, Lai was considered to be a potential candidate for a presidential run in 2016.[14] In 2013 an opinion poll ranked Lai as the most popular of the 22 city and county heads in Taiwan, with an approval rating of 87%.[15]

Lai made on 5 June 2014 a visit to the city of Shanghai to assist an exhibition of art by the late Taiwanese painter Tan Ting-pho and met politicians of the Chinese Communist Party.[16][17]

Lai stood for reelection on 29 November 2014 against Huang Hsiu-shuang of the Kuomintang. His opponent was considered to have such an uphill task in the DPP stronghold that she rode a black horse through the streets of Tainan as an election stunt; a hopeful allusion to her status as a "dark horse".[18] Lai, on the other hand, did not plan many campaign activities, choosing to focus on mayoral duties.[19] He eventually won the election by 45 percentage points,[20][21] the largest margin of victory in any of the municipal races in the election.[22]

Lai stepped down as Mayor in September 2017, after being appointed to the Premiership.[23] He was succeeded in acting capacity by Lee Meng-yen.[24][25]

Premier (2017–2019)

Premier Lai Ching-te led the cabinet during the swearing-in ceremony
Lai Ching-te (center) with Ethan Tu (left) and Huang Wei-cher (right), in January 2019.

In September 2017, Premier Lin Chuan tendered his resignation to President Tsai Ing-wen, which was reluctantly accepted. A recent poll showed Lin's approval rating to be a mere 28.7%, with 6 in 10 respondents dissatisfied with the performance of his cabinet.[26] On 5 September, President Tsai announced at a press conference that Lai would become the country's next head of the Executive Yuan.[27]

Lai took office on 8 September as the 49th Premier of the Republic of China.[28] Following Lai's appointment as premier, Tsai's approval ratings reached 46%, rebounding by more than 16 points since August.[29] Lai made his first appearance as premier at the Legislative Yuan on 26 September, where he stated "I am a political worker who advocates Taiwan independence" but that "We are already an independent sovereign nation called the Republic of China. We don't need a separate declaration of independence".[30][31] Lai has appeared to have moderated his position on Taiwanese independence particularly when he proposed the idea of "being close to China while loving Taiwan" in June 2017.[32] He also expressed no desire to run against Tsai Ing-wen in the 2020 presidential election.[33] On 28 September, the New Party called on the KMT to join it in filing a formal complaint against the Premier for sedition.[34]

In October 2017, it was reported that Lai had garnered the approval of 68.8 percent of respondents in a survey, while 23 percent expressed dissatisfaction.[35] However, critics say that his popularity may not last, due to his rapid reversal of his position on the issue of Taiwanese independence.[36] However, on 20 October, Lai in response to General Secretary Xi Jinping's comments on the one China policy and the 1992 consensus at the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, Lai said that the Taiwanese government, following the directives of Tsai Ing-wen, would fulfill its promise of not changing the status quo between the two neighbors and not ceding before pressure from Beijing, which comes in the form of military intimidation and an international blockade.[37]

In November 2018, Lai tendered his resignation to the president, after the ruling DPP was trounced in local elections.[38] Lai agreed to remain in office to help stabilize the government until the general budget was cleared by the Legislative Yuan in January 2019.[39][40] Lai's cabinet resigned on 11 January 2019 and Su Tseng-chang was appointed as new premier.[41][42]

First presidential campaign (2019)

On 18 March 2019, Lai Ching-te registered to run in the Democratic Progressive Party presidential primary, saying that he could shoulder the responsibility of leading Taiwan in defending itself from being annexed by China.[43] This is the first time in Taiwanese history where a serious primary challenge has been mounted against a sitting president.[44] The results of the DPP's primary poll released on 13 June shown that Tsai defeated Lai by winning 35.67 percent of the vote over Lai's 27.48 percent, officially becoming the DPP's presidential candidate for the 2020 election.[45]

In November 2019, Lai accepted president Tsai Ing-wen's offer to become her running mate for the 2020 presidential election.[46] Tsai secured over 57% of the ballot, winning a record 8.17 million votes in the election and began her second term in 2020.[47][48]

Vice presidency and second presidential campaign (2020–2024)

Lai exchanging gifts with Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr. (left) on an official visit to Palau in November 2022

During his vice presidency, Lai served as president Tsai Ing-wen's special envoy to Honduras for president Xiomara Castro's inauguration in January 2022.[49] After the assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, he made a private trip to Tokyo to pay his respects and became Taiwan's most senior official to visit Japan in five decades.[50] In November 2022, Lai led representatives of Taiwan's travel agencies and industry associations to Palau to foster collaborations between the two countries.[51]

In November 2022, president Tsai Ing-wen resigned as leader of DPP after the party's heavy losses in local elections.[52] Lai officially registered as a candidate for the DPP chair election in December.[53] Since Lai was the only candidate running, he became the new chairman of the DPP in 2023.[54][55] In March 2023, Lai registered as the only person to run in the DPP's 2024 presidential primary and was officially nominated by the ruling party in April.[56][57]

On 21 November 2023, Lai formally registered his campaign at the Central Election Commission along with his running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim.[58]

Personal life

Lai's father died on 8 January 1960 of carbon monoxide poisoning, while working in the coal mines of Wanli.[59] His mother raised him and his five siblings as a single parent.[60][61]

Lai married Wu Mei-ju in 1986. Wu worked for Taipower, and was based in Tainan until Lai was elected mayor of the city, and she transferred to Kaohsiung.[62][63] The couple raised two sons.[60]

References

  1. ↑ "獨／陳菊私人Line帳號英文名曝光！賴清德是「威廉」、蘇貞昌叫Hope JW是誰？ | ETtoday新聞雲". www.ettoday.net (in Traditional Chinese). 14 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  2. ↑ "Vice President Lai". Office of President Republic of China (Taiwan). Taiwan. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Taiwan premier, cabinet to quit after local election trouncing". Channel NewsAsia. 10 January 2019. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  4. ↑ "林佳龍掌交部、陳良基接教長 蘇內閣下周一上工" (in Chinese). United Daily News. 12 January 2019. Archived from the original on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  5. ↑ 陪同高雄立委聯合登記 賴清德：國會過半 蔡總統更有實力守護台灣 卓榮泰：再次八仙過海，贏下高雄戰場. 民主進步黨 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 19 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2019. 民主進步黨主席卓榮泰今（19）日早前往高雄，與副總統參選人賴清德，出席「八仙過海、高雄大贏」民進黨高雄市8席立委聯合登記記者會，與民進黨8位高雄市立委參選人邱議瑩、邱志偉、劉世芳、林岱樺、李昆澤、趙天麟、許智傑和賴瑞隆登記參選。
  6. ↑ "Beijing 'interferes daily' in Taiwan's election, says Tsai Ing-wen". South China Morning Post. 19 November 2019. Archived from the original on 20 November 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2019. China sailed an aircraft carrier group through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Sunday, the same day Tsai announced her running mate, former premier Lai Ching-te, who has angered Beijing with his pro-independence comments.
  7. 1 2 3 4 賴淸德 [William Lai] (in Chinese). Legislative Yuan. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  8. ↑ 陳定南的牽手張昭義挺賴清德 (in Chinese), NOWnews
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  11. ↑ 2009民進黨提名縣市長候選人連結 (in Chinese). Democratic Progressive Party. 17 September 2010. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  12. ↑ "William Lai takes Tainan by storm". Taipei Times. 28 November 2010. Archived from the original on 28 November 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  13. ↑ "99年直轄市長選舉 候選人得票數". 中央選舉委員會. Archived from the original on 12 September 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
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  17. ↑ "Tainan Mayor William Lai visits China for cultural exchange". Radio Taiwan International. 6 June 2014. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  18. ↑ "Saturday's elections seen as a litmus test for 2016". Taipei Times. 26 November 2014. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  19. ↑ Chen, Ted (21 November 2014). "Incumbent Tainan Mayor William Lai hopes to continue improving his city". The China Post. Archived from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  20. ↑ Wang, Jung-hsiang; Huang, Wen-huang; Chung, Jake (30 November 2014). "Kaohsiung and Tainan's mayors win re-election". Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  21. ↑ "103年直轄市長選舉 候選人得票數". 中央選舉委員會. Taiwan. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  22. ↑ TAIWAN INSIDER Vol. 1 No. 10, Thinking Taiwan, archived from the original on 3 May 2016, retrieved 2 December 2014
  23. ↑ 顧荃 (5 September 2017). "蔡總統宣布 賴清德接任行政院長" (in Chinese). Taiwan. 中央通訊社. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  24. ↑ "Lai bids farewell to Tainan, names Lee Meng-yen as acting mayor". Focus Taiwan. 6 September 2017. Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  25. ↑ 張榮祥、王淑芬 (6 September 2017). "賴清德宣布 李孟諺代理台南市長[影]" (in Chinese). Taiwan. 中央通訊社. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  26. ↑ "Taiwan Premier Lin Chuan resigns, Tainan city mayor William Lai reported to be successor". The Straits Times. 4 September 2017. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  27. ↑ "Taiwan appoints new premier to drive reform efforts". Reuters. 5 September 2017. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  28. ↑ "Premier Lai takes office, vows to advance reform". Taiwan Today. 8 September 2017. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  29. ↑ "Taiwan's new premier revitalizes President Tsai's fortunes". Nikkei. 3 October 2017. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  30. ↑ "Lai reaffirms support for independence". Taipei Times. 27 September 2017. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  31. ↑ "賴揆：務實台獨主義者". The Liberty Times (in Chinese). 27 September 2017. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  32. ↑ "賴清德︰親中愛台 創造團結台灣平台". The Liberty Times (in Chinese). 26 June 2017. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  33. ↑ "蔡賴配還早 不參選2020年總統". World Journal (in Chinese). 27 September 2017. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  34. ↑ "New Party mulls Lai complaint". Taipei Times. 29 September 2017. Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  35. ↑ "Premier Lai's high approval rating boosts Tsai's". Taipei Times. 17 October 2017. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
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  45. ↑ "President Tsai Ing-wen Beats Former Premier William Lai to Win DPP's Nomination". CommonWealth Magazine. 13 June 2019. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  46. ↑ "Tsai picks William Lai as running mate". Taipei Times. 18 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  47. ↑ "Taiwan election: Tsai Ing-wen wins second presidential term". BBC. 11 January 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  48. ↑ "第15任總統(副總統)選舉 候選人得票數". 中央選舉委員會. Taiwan. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  49. ↑ "Vice President Lai invites new president of Honduras to visit Taiwan". Taiwan News. 28 January 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  50. ↑ "Taiwan vice president makes rare Japan visit to pay respects to Abe". Reuters. 11 July 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  51. ↑ "VP Lai Ching-te returns to Taiwan after three-day Palau trip". Focus Taiwan. 3 November 2022. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  52. ↑ "Taiwan's Tsai quits as party leader after heavy local election losses". Nikkei. 26 November 2022. Archived from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  53. ↑ "Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te registers candidacy for DPP chair". Taiwan News. 14 December 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  54. ↑ "Taiwan's Vice President Lai expected to head the ruling party". NHK. 16 December 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  55. ↑ "William Lai vows to lead "honest" DPP". Taipei Times. 16 January 2023. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  56. ↑ "Taiwan's Vice President Lai secures nomination as DPP presidential candidate". NHK. 17 March 2023. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  57. ↑ "Registration for DPP presidential primary closes with Lai Ching-te as sole registrant". FTV News. 17 March 2023. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  58. ↑ "Taiwan ruling party powers ahead as chaos engulfs opposition campaign". Reuters. 22 November 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  59. ↑ "談到她，賴清德沒有一次不淚崩". CommonWeath Magazine. Archived from the original on 2017-10-08. Retrieved 2019-03-20.
  60. 1 2 Chau, Thompson (18 January 2023). "After Lai's father died in a coal mine disaster, Lai and his five siblings were brought up by their mother, who made ends meet by taking day job after day job. Born in present-day New Taipei, he was two at the time of the tragedy". Nikkei. Retrieved 28 December 2023. Lai Ching-te, whose coal miner father died while he was a toddler, took over as leader of Taiwan's ruling party on Wednesday, promising to address voter dissatisfaction and push through reforms ahead of a presidential election in less than 12 months. ... After Lai's father died in a coal mine disaster, Lai and his five siblings were brought up by their mother, who made ends meet by taking day job after day job. Born in present-day New Taipei, he was two at the time of the tragedy. ... Married and with two sons, Lai is more socially conservative than Tsai, a progressive but technocratic leader who has spearheaded reforms regarding indigenous rights and same-sex marriage, and established climate targets. He is also seen as an activist. In recent years, however, the 63-year-old has stayed away from making strident political statements and evolved into a statesmanlike vice president.
  61. ↑ Campbell, Charlie (20 November 2023). "Taiwan's Presidential Frontrunner Faces a Balancing Act With China". Time. Retrieved 28 December 2023. More than once when William Lai was a small boy, a passing typhoon blew the roof of his home clean away. It's a recollection that brings a wry smile to Taiwan's vice president, who grew up in the small coalmining hamlet of Wanli perched on the island's far north. Lai's father died in an accident in the pits when he was just 2 years old, leaving his mother to raise six children alone. Money was tight. Instead of toys, Lai had banyan trees to climb; instead of new clothes, he wore cast-offs; he didn't have privilege, he had to prove himself.
  62. ↑ "因陪考認識妻子 賴清德：當兵時每日一信鼓勵我". The Liberty Times (in Chinese). 7 September 2017. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  63. ↑ Teng, Pei-ju (27 December 2023). "ELECTION 2024/Lai's wife makes rare public appearance to endorse husband". Central News Agency. Retrieved 28 December 2023. After marrying Lai in 1986, Wu maintained her low-key lifestyle even after her husband entered politics in the 1990s. According to local media reports, Wu applied to be transferred from Taiwan Power Company's Tainan office to Hsinta Power Plant in Kaohsiung after Lai was elected Tainan mayor in 2010 to avoid any conflict of interest.
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