Lai Ching-te, the frontrunner for Taiwan’s presidency, named on Monday Taipei’s former envoy to the United States as his running mate in January’s election, a high-profile diplomat well known in Washington but who Beijing denounces as a separatist.

Lai, vice president and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate, has led in most opinion polls ahead of the election, which is taking place as Taiwan comes under increased pressure from China to accept its sovereignty claim.

His running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim, 52, who had been Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the United States since 2020, has extensive connections in Washington, and had been widely expected to be Lai’s running mate.

  • theodewere
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    911 months ago

    Beijing gets scared and starts to cry when anyone from Taiwan is friends with people in the US… it’s very silly and childish of Xi to behave this way…

    • @[email protected]
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      211 months ago

      Might be time for a new round of missile attacks on all that nasty ocean water around Taiwan. Big mean ocean between us and our friends who we will assimilate by any means necessary.

  • magnetosphere
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    711 months ago

    All I need to see is “vilified by China”, and I wish her all the luck in the world. To hell with the CCP.