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William Lai

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Taiwan
DPP
Tsai Ing-wen
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William Lai
The latest news on William Lai, (also known as Lai Ching-te),Taiwanese politician, former physician and currently the 8th president of the Republic of China, including politics news.
Born
6 Oct 1959
Industry
Politics
Job Title
Leader of Taiwan
Illustration: Henry Wong
Family offices

It’s a family affair: inside Hong Kong’s quest to lure world’s wealthiest clans

Two years ago, the government unveiled eight measures with the aim of attracting affluent families so they could set up family offices.

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Taiwan

Taiwanese law change targets military personnel with links to mainland China

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Taiwan

Taiwan’s feuding political parties raise the stakes with rival recall bids

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Taiwan

Could mainland Chinese academics’ visit to Taiwan be first hint of a thaw?

Trip may open the way for more unofficial ‘Red-Green’ exchanges, but some observers warn formal talks seem unlikely at the moment.

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Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has signalled his openness to more cross-strait dialogue. Photo: AP
Taiwan

Opinion | How Taiwan’s Quemoy symbolises shared but diverging memories

Taiwan’s ‘Cold War Disneyland’ offers both a window into the bleakness of war and a reminder of the benefits of cross-strait detente.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | With South Korea in crisis, what black swans lurk for East Asia in 2025?

Signs of upheaval and uncertainty in Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines will be compounded as the US recalibrates its East Asia policy.

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Taiwan

Former Taiwan leader emphasises shared roots of island and mainland Chinese

On his fifth student exchange programme, Ma Ying-jeou accuses ruling DPP of being behind unprecedented crisis in culture.

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Taiwan’s former leader Ma Ying-jeou waves to the media at Taoyuan International Airport before leading a delegation of Taiwanese students to China, in Taoyuan on December 18. Photo: AFP
Taiwan

Taiwan’s William Lai slides in popularity, plagued by political turmoil

Lai’s disapproval rating is at its highest since he took over as leader six months ago, according to a new public opinion poll.

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Taiwan

Olympic champions among mainland China students set to visit Taiwan

40-strong team of students and faculty from leading mainland universities will arrive on November 27, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation says.

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Taiwan

People’s Daily accuses Taiwan’s William Lai of pushing independence narrative

Communist Party mouthpiece blasts the island’s leader after he commemorates anniversary of 1949 battle between Kuomintang and PLA.

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Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te (centre) attends a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Kinmen on the island of Quemoy on Friday. Photo: CNA
Taiwan

Beijing hails cross-strait policies as Taiwanese visitor numbers surge

Some 994,000 travel permits and 3 million Taiwanese visitors so far this year point to cross-strait policy success, observers say.

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Participants in a cross-strait journalism camp pose for a photo at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall in Beijing in August. Photo: Xinhua
Taiwan

Beijing could elaborate law for ‘non-peaceful’ Taiwan reunification

Cautionary remarks by former US envoy, Taipei lawmaker come after PLA unleashes blockade drills over speech by island’s ‘separatist’ leader.

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Taiwan

Taiwan agrees to buy nearly 1,000 US killer drones as PLA stages combat drills

Taipei signs deals with Washington’s de facto embassy to buy loitering munitions as Beijing retaliates over William Lai’s remarks.

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Taiwan

PLA wraps up day of joint force blockade drills around Taiwan

Joint Sword-2024B exercise focused on sea-and air-combat readiness patrols, and ability to block key ports.

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The Liaoning aircraft carrier was part of PLA drills around Taiwan on Monday. Photo: PLA Navy
Taiwan

US urges restraint from mainland China, Taiwan ahead of island leader’s speech

Concern swirls that William Lai Ching-te’s remarks at annual celebration could prompt Beijing to justify taking cross-strait military action.

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Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te waves during his inauguration ceremony in Taipei on May 20. Photo: EPA-EFE
Taiwan

Mainland China accuses Taiwanese leader William Lai of escalating hostility

Beijing hit back at recent comments that the People’s Republic could not be the island’s motherland because the Republic of China is older.

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Taiwan

Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen to visit Europe in first overseas trip since stepping down

Details of 8-day visit kept quiet amid security concerns, reports say.

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Taiwan

Taiwan sets war readiness goals at meeting of new defence resilience committee

Whole-of-Society Defence Resilience Committee aims to mobilise around 400,000 people, security official says.

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Taiwanese leader William Lai (in dark suit), pictured with troops at a naval base in Penghu County, has outlined the tasks of a new defence committee for “a more resilient Taiwan”. Photo: EPA-EFE
China’s Communist Party

Beijing says Anonymous64 hacker group targeting mainland China backed by Taiwan

Taipei information command denies claims as Beijing’s Ministry of State Security vows to ‘resolutely crush all separatist attempts’.

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Taiwan

Taiwan probes fighter jet crash after latest incident involving Mirage planes

Island’s air force launches task force to investigate why warplane lost power while returning to base after routine training mission.

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Taiwan

No 2 Taiwan official visiting US for 2 weeks seeks ‘better understanding’

Speculation about how much Washington trusts island’s new leader looms over tour by Democratic Progressive Party’s secretary general.

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Lin Yu-chang, the No 2 official in Taipei’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party led by William Lai Ching-te, speaks at the Global Taiwan Institute in Washington on Tuesday. Photo: SCMP
Taiwan

Leading Taiwan opposition politician’s home raided in corruption probe

The leader of the Taiwan People’s Party’s role in approving a shopping mall development while mayor of Taipei is under scrutiny.

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Taiwan People’s Party Ko Wen-je pictured outside his house on Friday. Photo: CNA
Taiwan

In Taiwan, former Trump rival Nikki Haley urges support for US allies

‘We don’t want to see Communist China win,’ says Donald Trump’s former UN envoy, who later ran against him for Republican presidential nod.

Taiwan

Taiwan earmarks billions to build 7 more submarines in bid to deter PLA attacks

But analysts have questioned the huge budget allocation given that the prototype submarine is still undergoing testing.

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US-China relations

Opinion | Far from an aggressor, China has been remarkably restrained

Despite becoming a US peer competitor, China’s practice of strategic forbearance does not point to aspirations of global hegemony.

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Illustration: Stephen Case
Taiwan

Taiwan hosts international anti-Chinese Communist Party coalition conference

Beijing tried to ‘intimidate and dissuade’ some of the 48 Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China lawmakers from attending, IPAC says.

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Dozens of lawmakers, drawn from a broad spectrum of the world’s political parties, will meet in Taipei this week for the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) summit. Photo: IPAC
Taiwan

William Lai pushes Taiwan identity to counter Beijing. But how far will he go?

Island’s leader wants to rename local dialect and boost cultural pride, but analysts say he is unlikely to officially declare independence.

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Taiwan

Ex-Taiwanese vice-premier turned senior official steps down amid bribery probe

Cheng Wen-tsan resigned from Straits Exchange Foundation, a post he had for just a month, over allegations from his tenure as Taoyuan mayor.

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