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William Lai Ching-te
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William Lai Ching-te
The latest news on William Lai (also known as Lai Ching-te), politician, former physician and currently the 8th president of Taiwan.
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Born
6 Oct 1959
Industry
Politics
Job Title
Leader of Taiwan
2026 Xi-Trump summit
Trump ‘not looking for’ war over Taiwan but keeps up suspense over arms packages
Xi and he ‘talked a lot’ about Taiwan, US president says, will not be drawn on future of mega arms packages awaiting final approval.
15 May 2026 - 11:48PM
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2026 Xi-Trump summit
Xi urges ‘utmost caution’ from Trump on Taiwan, warns of conflict risk
14 May 2026 - 11:02PM
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China-Latin America relations
Beijing calls Paraguay leaders willing ‘chess pieces’ after disputed Taiwan trip
13 May 2026 - 4:08AM
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2026 Xi-Trump summit
Trump to raise Taiwan, Jimmy Lai case when he meets Xi in Beijing this week
US president claims Chinese leader will be more likely than himself to bring up Taiwan issue, while Lai may also be on the agenda.
12 May 2026 - 6:17AM
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Taiwan
Chinese transcript of SCMP’s interview with KMT’s Cheng Li-wun
Taiwanese opposition leader Cheng Li-wun on the island’s future, meeting Xi Jinping and the prospects for cross-strait peace.
11 May 2026 - 6:02AM
Taiwan
Faith, hope and ancestry: how Beijing is trying to win over Taiwan’s next generation
Xintian village is symbolic of efforts to reinforce Taiwanese people’s historical and religious links to the mainland.
8 May 2026 - 10:05AM
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Taiwan
Taiwan’s William Lai lands in eSwatini on trip Beijing calls a political ‘stunt’
Lai travels to island sole African ally after earlier visit cancelled because of overflight permission withdrawn.
2 May 2026 - 9:11PM
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Taiwan
As I see it
|
Kuomintang gets the carrots, DPP the stick
Beijing and Taiwan’s opposition KMT want to foster cross-strait interdependence but DPP offers only isolation and endless confrontation.
25 Apr 2026 - 5:30AM
4
US-China relations
US slams Beijing after African countries block Taiwan leader’s eSwatini trip
A State Department official called the incident an abuse of the international civil aviation system.
23 Apr 2026 - 8:15AM
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Taiwan
Taiwan’s leader Lai delays Africa trip after 3 nations revoke flight permission
Taiwan blames Beijing for the move, which forced William Lai to put off visit to eSwatini, the island’s sole remaining partner in Africa.
21 Apr 2026 - 9:25PM
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Taiwan
Taiwan warned of widening ‘resilience gap’ in civil defences
Island vulnerable to panic should real-world crisis happen ‘because we are unprepared’, security scholar says.
19 Apr 2026 - 10:00AM
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Taiwan
As I see it
|
KMT chief shows way forward to avoid blind confrontation with Beijing
Instead of betting the ranch on an ever more unreliable Washington, like William Lai, Cheng Li-wun is wisely reaching out to mainland China.
15 Apr 2026 - 9:30AM
5
Taiwan
Trade, travel and TV: Taiwan industries hail Beijing’s 10-point economic package
Measures spark hopes for hard-hit sectors in possible KMT poll boost, but ruling DPP warns about economic access as a ‘political tool’.
16 Apr 2026 - 10:19PM
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Taiwan
Does Iran’s wartime resilience offer any lessons for Taiwan?
The recent conflict has raised questions about whether the island could keep fighting if its air defences were targeted by the PLA.
12 Apr 2026 - 12:00PM
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10
Taiwan
Why KMT leader’s planned Beijing visit is under scrutiny in Taiwan
Meeting with Xi Jinping is expected on six-day trip, the first such encounter between the two parties’ leaders in a decade.
6 Apr 2026 - 9:13PM
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32
Taiwan
Former KMT chairwoman calls for ‘profound mutual trust’ with mainland China
Social media post from Hung Hsiu-chu comes days ahead of sitting KMT chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s visit to mainland.
3 Apr 2026 - 8:44PM
11
Taiwan
US senators visit Taiwan to push defence spending as arms deadlines loom
The trip signals Washington’s frustration with budget impasse, but analysts say real power over Taiwan policy rests with the White House.
30 Mar 2026 - 8:39PM
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China-Japan relations
Beijing sanctions Japan lawmaker for ‘colluding with Taiwan independence forces’
Foreign ministry says imposing sanctions on Keiji Furuya, who attended Yushan Forum in Taipei, is ‘a decision of deterrence and warning’.
30 Mar 2026 - 9:57PM
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Taiwan
Can Taiwan fulfil Asia-Pacific drone hub goal with ‘non-red’ supply chain push?
Plan is to invest US$1.38 billion between 2025 and 2030 for uncrewed systems industry, but questions linger over scale, politics and timing.
25 Mar 2026 - 10:00AM
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Taiwan
Taiwan opposition parties join forces for local polls with eye on 2028 race
Main opposition Kuomintang and smaller Taiwan People’s Party approve cooperation agreement to contest local elections in November.
20 Mar 2026 - 9:52PM
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14
Taiwan
Taiwan leader ‘glorifying Japanese colonial rule’, Beijing says
Backlash was prompted by a speech that said the early days of the KMT’s rule over island were ‘worse than the colonial regime’.
19 Mar 2026 - 8:24PM
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35
Taiwan
PLA ramps up Taiwan patrols after lull as Beijing slams William Lai’s speech
Beijing sends 26 sorties over the weekend, coinciding with comments by Taiwanese leader claiming the island is ‘sovereign’.
16 Mar 2026 - 7:19PM
7
US-China relations
From ‘love and hate’ to nationalism, can Xi and Trump rebalance ties?
Chinese scholars say the US-China relationship has changed, and there’s a chance for the two powers to steer away from confrontation.
11 Mar 2026 - 12:58AM
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US-China relations
Taiwan tensions No 1 in Beijing’s top 10 geopolitical risks of 2026: think tank
Most consequential external security variable may be uncertainty in the US ahead of the midterm elections in November, report warns.
9 Mar 2026 - 3:42PM
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Two Sessions 2026
China keeps defence budget growth steady as modernisation deadline looms
Beijing plans to set aside 7 per cent more for the military this year, with the total still a fraction of US spending.
5 Mar 2026 - 9:00PM
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7
Taiwan
No PLA planes over Taiwan in 6 days. Why has Beijing pressed pause?
Analysts say the recent pause may be aimed at creating a conciliatory atmosphere in advance of this month’s leaders’ meeting.
5 Mar 2026 - 4:13PM
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18
Taiwan
As I see it
|
Taipei must break free of its abusive relationship with Washington
US President Donald Trump’s tariff blitz is not Taiwan’s fault, but the self-ruled island must come to see that Washington is unreliable.
28 Feb 2026 - 5:30AM
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Taiwan
What does Taiwanese leader William Lai’s rare ‘mainland China’ reference mean?
Analysts cite pressure from Washington ahead of Donald Trump’s Beijing summit with Xi Jinping, where Taiwan is likely to be a focal point.
27 Feb 2026 - 9:58AM
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