Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen poised to complete improbable political comeback

Incumbent president heading into election with a substantial lead in polls after earlier trailing main rival Han Kuo-yu by 30 points

In the third of a five-part series we look at the DPP’s candidate in a presidential race that is set to have a significant impact on Beijing’s relations with both Taipei and Washington

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Incumbent president heading into election with a substantial lead in polls after earlier trailing main rival Han Kuo-yu by 30 points. Illustration: SCMP

Published: 7:00am, 6 Jan 2020Updated: 8:41pm, 17 Feb 2020

It is not inaccurate to say Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen is the beneficiary of the “one country, two system formula for cross-strait unification” proposal by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Nor is it untrue to say that she reaped the biggest windfall from Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s ill-fated extradition law.

Who would have expected that in just one year, the island’s leader, whom many had thought might never make it to a second term after her independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party’s humiliating defeat in the 2018 local elections, would see a turnaround in her fortunes all because of what Xi has said and Carrie Lam has done?

It was a grim-faced Tsai who led a group of party officials in a bow to supporters as she announced her resignation as the party’s leader after her ruling DPP suffered its biggest electoral defeat in history in the local government polls on November 24, 2018.

“I will take complete responsibility for the outcome of today’s local elections,” Tsai said at the time. “I resign as DPP chairperson. Our efforts weren’t enough and we let down all our supporters who fought with us. I want to express our most sincere apologies.”

DPP lost its traditional stronghold in the city of Kaohsiung for the first time in 20 years and suffered a resounding defeat in the island’s second-largest city Taichung. Overall, the party retained control in just six cities and counties, compared with the 15 won by the mainland-friendly Kuomintang (KMT).

The local elections were seen as a midterm test for Tsai, as she faced a backlash over domestic reforms and concerns about deteriorating ties with China.