Taiwan presidential candidate pledges to protect against China

• The candidate likely to represent the ruling party at Taiwan’s next presidential election, Vice President William Lai, pledged on 15 Mar to protect the island against China and ensure peace, as he formally registered to run in the campaign.
• Speaking at party headquarters as he registered to run as the party’s candidate in its election primary, Lai said Taiwan stood on the frontlines of democracy.
• “Taiwan is in a key geographic position in the first island chain of the Indo-Pacific, directly facing China’s verbal and military threats, diplomatic suppression through unscrupulous means and the various threats of their double strategy of wanting peace and playing war,” he told reporters.
• “We have to be unified, continue to strengthen Taiwan, protect the democratic frontline and ensure Taiwan’s security.”
• Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang or KMT which traditionally favours close ties with Beijing, has not decided on its presidential candidate yet.

External Link : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-presidential-candidate-pledges-protect-against-china-2023-03-15/