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William Lai Ching-te
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William Lai Ching-te

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William Lai Ching-te
William Lai Ching-te
The latest news on William Lai (also known as Lai Ching-te), politician, former physician and currently the 8th president of Taiwan.
Born
6 Oct 1959
Industry
Politics
Job Title
Leader of Taiwan
Illustration: Henry Wong
Taiwan

Faith, hope and ancestry: how Beijing is trying to win over Taiwan’s next generation

Xintian village is symbolic of efforts to reinforce Taiwanese people’s historical and religious links to the mainland.

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Taiwan

Taiwan’s William Lai lands in eSwatini on trip Beijing calls a political ‘stunt’

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Taiwan

As I see it | Kuomintang gets the carrots, DPP the stick

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US-China relations

US slams Beijing after African countries block Taiwan leader’s eSwatini trip

A State Department official called the incident an abuse of the international civil aviation system.

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Taiwan leader William Lai Ching-te speaks during an interview in Taipei in February. Photo: AFP
Taiwan

Taiwan’s leader Lai delays Africa trip after 3 nations revoke flight permission

Taiwan blames Beijing for the move, which forced William Lai to put off visit to eSwatini, the island’s sole remaining partner in Africa.

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Taiwan

Taiwan warned of widening ‘resilience gap’ in civil defences

Island vulnerable to panic should real-world crisis happen ‘because we are unprepared’, security scholar says.

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Taiwan

As I see it | KMT chief shows way forward to avoid blind confrontation with Beijing

Instead of betting the ranch on an ever more unreliable Washington, like William Lai, Cheng Li-wun is wisely reaching out to mainland China.

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KMT chairwoman Cheng Li-wun leaves a press conference in Beijing, on April 10, during a six-day visit to mainland China. Photo: EPA
Taiwan

Trade, travel and TV: Taiwan industries hail Beijing’s 10-point economic package

Measures spark hopes for hard-hit sectors in possible KMT poll boost, but ruling DPP warns about economic access as a ‘political tool’.

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Taiwan

Does Iran’s wartime resilience offer any lessons for Taiwan?

The recent conflict has raised questions about whether the island could keep fighting if its air defences were targeted by the PLA.

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Taiwan

Why KMT leader’s planned Beijing visit is under scrutiny in Taiwan

Meeting with Xi Jinping is expected on six-day trip, the first such encounter between the two parties’ leaders in a decade.

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Kuomintang chairwoman Cheng Li-wun is due to arrive in mainland China on April 7. Photo: Reuters
Taiwan

Former KMT chairwoman calls for ‘profound mutual trust’ with mainland China

Social media post from Hung Hsiu-chu comes days ahead of sitting KMT chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s visit to mainland.

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The Kuomintang’s then-chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu with Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, in Beijing in 2016. Photo: Xinhua
Taiwan

US senators visit Taiwan to push defence spending as arms deadlines loom

The trip signals Washington’s frustration with budget impasse, but analysts say real power over Taiwan policy rests with the White House.

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China-Japan relations

Beijing sanctions Japan lawmaker for ‘colluding with Taiwan independence forces’

Foreign ministry says imposing sanctions on Keiji Furuya, who attended Yushan Forum in Taipei, is ‘a decision of deterrence and warning’.

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Taiwan

Can Taiwan fulfil Asia-Pacific drone hub goal with ‘non-red’ supply chain push?

Plan is to invest US$1.38 billion between 2025 and 2030 for uncrewed systems industry, but questions linger over scale, politics and timing.

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A Mighty Hornet IV high-speed attack drone, developed jointly by Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology and US-based Kratos Defence and Security Solutions, is displayed at the Taipei Aerospace and Defence Technology Exhibition on September 18, 2025. Photo: AFP
Taiwan

Taiwan opposition parties join forces for local polls with eye on 2028 race

Main opposition Kuomintang and smaller Taiwan People’s Party approve cooperation agreement to contest local elections in November.

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Alliance for coming local elections marks a further effort by the KMT and TPP to challenge the ruling DPP and avoid splitting the vote. Photo: Elson Li
Taiwan

Taiwan leader ‘glorifying Japanese colonial rule’, Beijing says

Backlash was prompted by a speech that said the early days of the KMT’s rule over island were ‘worse than the colonial regime’.

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Taiwan

PLA ramps up Taiwan patrols after lull as Beijing slams William Lai’s speech

Beijing sends 26 sorties over the weekend, coinciding with comments by Taiwanese leader claiming the island is ‘sovereign’.

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US-China relations

From ‘love and hate’ to nationalism, can Xi and Trump rebalance ties?

Chinese scholars say the US-China relationship has changed, and there’s a chance for the two powers to steer away from confrontation.

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US President Donald Trump is expected to visit Beijing and meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the end of the month. Photo: TNS
US-China relations

Taiwan tensions No 1 in Beijing’s top 10 geopolitical risks of 2026: think tank

Most consequential external security variable may be uncertainty in the US ahead of the midterm elections in November, report warns.

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Two Sessions 2026

China keeps defence budget growth steady as modernisation deadline looms

Beijing plans to set aside 7 per cent more for the military this year, with the total still a fraction of US spending.

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Taiwan

No PLA planes over Taiwan in 6 days. Why has Beijing pressed pause?

Analysts say the recent pause may be aimed at creating a conciliatory atmosphere in advance of this month’s leaders’ meeting.

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While no aircraft were recorded near Taiwan over six consecutive days, including the Chinese New Year, the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command said it maintained combat-oriented training over the period. Photo: Handout
Taiwan

As I see it | Taipei must break free of its abusive relationship with Washington

US President Donald Trump’s tariff blitz is not Taiwan’s fault, but the self-ruled island must come to see that Washington is unreliable.

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Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te delivers a New Year’s Day speech on January 1 at the presidential hall in Taipei. Photo: Handout via AFP
Taiwan

What does Taiwanese leader William Lai’s rare ‘mainland China’ reference mean?

Analysts cite pressure from Washington ahead of Donald Trump’s Beijing summit with Xi Jinping, where Taiwan is likely to be a focal point.

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Taiwan

Taiwan seeks clarity after US Supreme Court upends Trump’s tariff powers

Taipei scrambles to ensure trade exemptions remain intact, but opposition warns the ruling ‘completely overturned’ tariff deal.

Taiwan

Over 3 million Taiwanese visited mainland China in 2025, Taipei says

Taiwanese media attributes slow post-pandemic recovery to cross-strait tensions, partial travel bans.

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Visitors throng the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. More than a third of Taiwanese visitors to mainland China last year were young people, according to Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office. Photo: Xinhua
Taiwan

Taiwan defence budget delays may push island down US priority list: William Lai

Island’s leader has appealed to opposition parties to stop blocking a US$40 billion spending plan, citing the need to ‘safeguard security’.

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Taiwanese authorities say that failure to pass the bill could “seriously weaken” military upgrade plans and affect international confidence in the island’s commitment to self-defence. Photo: AFP
Taiwan

Xi, Trump and why their talks are stoking unease in Taiwan

William Lai says the island’s ties with Washington remain rock solid but others are seeing a clear shift.

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Taiwan

US defence strategy omission raises alarm in Taiwan over Trump’s intentions

Document splits opinion, with some experts fearing that the island could become a bargaining chip between Washington and Beijing.

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