Today, we look at one of the three candidates running for president: the incumbent, Tsai Ing-wen.
President Tsai Ing-wen made history in 2016, becoming Taiwan’s first female president. Now, she’s hoping for a second term in office.
Tsai was born in Taipei in 1956. She has law degrees from Cornell and the London School of Economics.
Tsai became DPP chair in 2008, after holding several top government positions. She first ran for president back in 2012, but was narrowly defeated by incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT.
2016 was Tsai’s year. Not only did she win the presidency, she also led her party to a landslide victory in the legislature. The honeymoon didn’t last, though. In 2018, her party was routed in mid-term elections, and she stepped down as party chair. Internal party politics have also posed a challenge. In 2019, her own former premier, William Lai, challenged her for the DPP’s presidential nomination in a bruising primary contest.
2020 will see Tsai say farewell to current Vice President Chen Chien-jen, who is not seeking a second term. In his place, she’s chosen former Premier William Lai, who is now on the same team with her once again.
As president, Tsai has forged a new road for Taiwan with regard to her China policy. In a departure from previous presidents, she rejected the so-called 1992 Consensus. Under that policy, both Taipei and Beijing agreed in principle that they are both part of “one China”, while agreeing to disagree about what “one China” means.
China has responded by blocking Taiwan from participating in international organizations, sharply restricting Chinese tourism to Taiwan, and luring away Taiwan’s diplomatic allies.
In the realm of foreign affairs, Tsai has shifted attention to Southeast Asia, South Asia, Australia, and New Zealand under the “New Southbound Policy”.
On the domestic front, Tsai has gotten both praise and pushback for reforming labor laws and the nation’s debt-ridden pension system. She aims to phase out nuclear power in Taiwan and has addressed Taiwan’s authoritarian past, seeking “transitional justice”. During her time in office, Taiwan also became the first country in Asia to pass same-sex marriage.
Saturday’s election will see voters deliver their verdict on four eventful years with Tsai Ing-wen at the helm.