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Taiwanese presidential front runner William Lai uses US stopover to ditch pro-independence tag
- After previously being seen as ‘deep green’, Lai has now stressed he has no intention of pursuing independence should he become president
- Analysts say it is too early to tell whether the comments the vice-president made on his trip to the US and Paraguay will win him more votes
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Lawrence Chungin Taipei
Taiwan’s presidential front runner William Lai Ching-te has returned from the United States and Paraguay – a trip that sought to strengthen his image as a responsible leader ahead of the crucial January election.
The week-long trip to the South American ally saw the Taiwanese vice-president cement ties between Taipei and Asuncion, while his relatively low-profile transits through New York and San Francisco helped him win the trust of the US, according to analysts.
More importantly, Lai used the trip to ditch the radical pro-independence label he had long held in a bid to convince the international community and voters at home he would not stoke tensions by splitting Taiwan from the mainland, analysts said.
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But whether this helps Lai gain support from the island’s moderate or neutral voters remains to be seen with the election still five months away.
Long regarded as “deep green” – a reference to the more radical, pro-independence wing of the party – Lai previously told the island’s legislature he was “a pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence” when he was premier in 2017.
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It is a label that has raised concerns in the past, with the US and international community worried he might declare independence if elected president.
But in a recent interview with Bloomberg, Lai stressed he had no plan to do so.
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