President-elect Lai Ching-te and Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim are well equipped to lead the country.
On January 13, the people of Taiwan elected Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and Hsiao Bi-khim
(蕭美琴) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to serve as their next president and vice president. The election garnered widespread international attention and congratulations from over 100 countries and marked another milestone in Taiwan’s democratic development. With Lai and Hsiao’s victory, the DPP became the first political party to win three consecutive terms since the first direct presidential election took place in 1996.
Speaking at a summit in Taipei last June, Lai emphasizes how technological innovation can advance goals ranging from economic transformation to net-zero emissions. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)
In his victory speech at the post-election press conference, Lai thanked Taiwan’s people for writing a new chapter in the country’s history and demonstrating to the world how strongly they cherish democratic values. “We’re telling the international community that we stand firmly on the side of democracy,” he said. “The Republic of China [Taiwan] will continue to walk side by side with fellow democracies across the globe.” The voters’ choice in the face of Chinese coercion reflects the staunch national belief that only Taiwan’s citizens have the right to choose their leaders. Lai also thanked outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) for her unfaltering efforts over the past eight years to establish a solid foundation for the country’s continued development, vowing that he and Hsiao would work hard to lead Taiwan onward and steadily boost the people’s welfare.
When he takes office May 20, Lai will assume the responsibility of ensuring stability in the Taiwan Strait. He has promised to conduct dialogue and exchanges with China under the principles of dignity and equality to improve the well-being of people on both sides of the strait and preserve the interests of the international community. He has laid out a three-pronged national development blueprint to achieve enduring democratic peace, innovation-driven prosperity and just sustainability.
Upward Trajectory
Lai was born in 1959 to a mining family in northern Taiwan. Despite facing early hardships, including the loss of his father during infancy, his mother’s unwavering determination to provide for the family left a lasting impression on Lai. He internalized her message: “Anything is possible, even with limited resources. As long as you believe in yourself, there is a path to overcome adversity.”
He attended Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School, Taipei’s top senior high school for boys, and National Taiwan University’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, after which he completed the Post-Bachelor Program in Medical Science at National Cheng Kung University in southern Taiwan’s Tainan City. His academic pursuits continued with a Master of Public Health from Harvard University, distinguishing him as one of the few physicians in Taiwan with rehabilitation, clinical care and public health expertise.
Lai speaking in the legislature, where he served from 1999 to 2010 (Courtesy of Presidential Office)
In 1994 when he was a chief resident at National Cheng Kung University Hospital and the country was holding its first direct election for Taiwan provincial governor, Lai began his involvement in public affairs as the head of a Tainan physicians association that supported DPP candidate Chen Ting-nan (陳定南).
During the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, Lai gave up his medical career to enter politics. He was elected to the National Assembly that year to represent Tainan and successfully readjusted the structure of Taiwan’s government, including the freeze of Taiwan Provincial Government, through constitutional amendments.
Lai was elected to the Legislative Yuan in 1998 as representative of Tainan. Leveraging his medical expertise, he played a critical role in the Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee while addressing over 100,000 local cases. Lai placed equal emphasis on professional governance and solid service, and Tainan residents showed their appreciation by electing him to the legislature for four consecutive terms.
During his legislative tenure, Lai was designated as the DPP caucus whip and named Best Legislator by Citizen Congress Watch. He frequently led delegations abroad to conduct parliamentary diplomacy and promoted the inclusion of Taiwan in the World Health Organization. In 2004 Lai participated in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program.
As Tainan City Mayor, Lai receives high public approval. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)
In 2010 Lai was elected as the first mayor of the newly formed Tainan Special Municipality, a merger of the former Tainan City and County, building a reputation for integrity, industriousness and efficacy. Running for reelection in 2014, he garnered 72.9 percent of the vote, the highest percentage won by any city or county head since the lifting of martial law in 1987. Lai received five-star public approval ratings multiple times during his tenure as mayor. He actively promoted city diplomacy and twice visited Washington, D.C., where he gave keynote speeches at well-known think tanks.
Lai proceeded to serve as the premier from 2017 to 2019, diligently executing Tsai’s seven missions. Under his pragmatic and results-driven leadership, the Cabinet implemented policies that raised wages, lowered taxes and enhanced the investment climate. Furthermore, his tenure witnessed notable progress on his vision of ensuring peaceful livelihoods and employment security, promoting sustainability and facilitating balanced development throughout Taiwan.
In November 2019, Lai accepted Tsai’s invitation to be her running mate in the 15th presidential election, which he helped win with a record 8.17 million votes and a continued DPP legislative majority. Lai was officially sworn in as vice president in May 2020. He was named DPP chair in January 2023, was announced as the DPP candidate for Taiwan’s 16th presidential election the following April and was successfully elected in January 2024.
Lai announced Hsiao, then Taiwan’s representative to the U.S., as his running mate last November. He commended Hsiao for her outstanding performance in each of her past positions, crediting her with substantial advancement in Taiwan-U.S. relations in recent years.
Lai meets with American Institute in Taiwan Chair Laura Rosenberger, right, and Hsiao, then Taiwan’s representative to the U.S., during his stopover in San Francisco after completing a vice presidential trip to South American ally Paraguay last August. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)
Political Synergy
Hsiao was born in 1971 in Kobe, Japan, to ROC (Taiwan) national the Rev. Hsiao Ching-fen (蕭清芬), former president of Tainan Theological College and Seminary, and U.S. national Peggy Cooley. She attended National University of Tainan Affiliated Primary School and Tainan Municipal Houjia Junior High School before moving to the U.S. In 1993 she graduated from Oberlin College with a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian studies and later earned a Master of Arts in political science from Columbia University.
A member of the DPP, Hsiao has served in various roles within the party, including program coordinator of the DPP’s U.S. mission in 1995, deputy director of international affairs in 1996 and director from 1997 to 2006. She also worked at the Presidential Office as an adviser and interpreter in 2000. During her four terms in the Legislative Yuan, she focused on agriculture and transportation in the district of Hualien while championing broader issues such as gender equality, foreign affairs and human rights.
Hsiao has additionally held positions such as senior adviser at Taiwan’s National Security Council, vice president of Liberal International, chair of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats and board member of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy. She was appointed to represent Taiwan in the U.S. as head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in 2020 and returned to Taiwan in 2023 to run in Taiwan’s 16th presidential election and emerged victorious.
Describing herself as a “cat warrior,” Hsiao compares diplomacy to the careful, delicate way cats walk. As ambassador, she stood firmly on the country’s principles, deftly managed myriad issues and maintained balance in a complex strategic environment. Her approach maximized the potential of Taiwan’s relationship with the U.S. and brought support from like-minded countries for Taiwan’s international participation.
Hsiao shares Lai’s determination to defend Taiwan’s democratic values and the people’s right to decide their future. (Courtesy of Hsiao Bi-khim)
Despite the clear global consensus to preserve the cross-strait status quo, China has systematically chipped away at long-established understandings. Taiwan’s ability to defend its democratic values has far-reaching implications for both the country and the international community, a fact that has inspired Hsiao to tackle geopolitical challenges head-on.
According to the president-elect, he and Hsiao are honored that the people of Taiwan chose them to lead the nation. “The country’s 23 million citizens are all one big family,” Lai said in his victory speech. “Let us continue to work together to move the country forward.”
Write to Kelly Her at kher@mofa.gov.tw