April 16, 2015
The DPP has officially selected a candidate and Beijing is getting nervous.
It’s official: Tsai Ing-wen, the chair of Taiwan’s opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), will be her party’s candidate for next year’s presidential race. Tsai was uncontested for the nomination. She previously served as the DPP candidate in 2012, when she was defeated by incumbent Ma Ying-jeou 51 percent to 45 percent.
Tsai’s chances look better this time around, with the DPP riding high on sweeping victories in last November’s local elections. More seriously, the ruling Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is facing something of an identity crisis as it tries to rebrand itself. The KMT does not even have a consensus candidate for next year’s election, and might not decide on one until July or August, according to Want China Times. The most likely contender, KMT Chairman and New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu, previously vowed not to run.
As her candidacy officially begins, Tsai will face questions about the DPP approach to cross-strait relations. Ties with Beijing were rocky under the last DPP president, Chen Shui-bian, whom Beijing saw as an advocate for Taiwanese independence. Current President Ma Ying-jeou came to office in 2008 on a promise to revitalize cross-strait relations, resulting in a rapid expansion of economic and people-to-people exchanges.
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