TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s three vice-presidential candidates received the only opportunity to explain their views to voters live on TV Friday (Dec. 22).
The three presidential contenders in the Jan. 13, 2024 election, Lai Ching-te (賴清德) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) of the Kuomintang (KMT), and Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) mostly presented their different approaches to China during their first live TV appearance on Wednesday (Dec. 20). A true debate with direct interaction has been scheduled for Dec. 30.
Ko’s running mate, Cynthia Wu (吳欣盈), emphasized economic issues in her first of three 10-minute rounds Friday evening, CNA reported. Peace had to be based on prosperity, attracting investment from overseas and raising wages for employees, she said.
The former businessperson described the TPP as Taiwan’s “plumber,” using digital and green transformation to provide the public with a prosperous environment. As a new party, the TPP did not carry the same baggage as the two other main political parties, she said.
KMT vice-presidential candidate Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) slammed Lai for the problems surrounding his family home in the New Taipei City district of Wanli. The house has been described as illegally built, with the city government currently dealing with its status and Lai promising he would put it into trust.
Jaw also misspoke during his TV presentation, describing Lai as his boss if he was elected, as the hero of the fight against organized crime, and as the best mayor for New Taipei City, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported. Lai never ran New Taipei City, while Hou was a national police chief, revealing Jaw must have confused the two names.
DPP candidate Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) accused her opponents of wanting to turn back the clock eight years, when only China mattered as a market and Taiwan did not appear on the world stage. She emphasized that the whole world was now reducing risk by cutting its reliance on China, so Taiwan should not go in the opposite direction, per RTI.