Person in the news
January 22, 2016 9:35 amTsai Ing-wen, Taiwan’s next president
Ben Bland
The country’s first female leader is ready to stand up to her powerful neighbour, writes Ben Bland
hile policymakers in Beijing were fretting this week about what her landslide election victory on January 16 means for cross-strait relations, Taiwan’s next president had more immediate concerns: her two cats.
“The happiest thing is, I finally have some time to play with Think Think and Ah Tsai,” Tsai Ing-wen,
the leader of Taiwan’s opposition party, wrote on her Facebook page,
after she won a double majority in the presidential and legislative
elections.
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The
cat-loving former law professor and self-styled wonk does not look like
a formidable adversary for China’s domineering President Xi Jinping.
But the rise of Ms Tsai, who has an intellect as robust as her powers
of perseverance and a deep commitment to Taiwan’s separate identity, is a
major worry for China, which claims that the self-governing island is
still its territory.
One of the first women to be elected leader of an
Asian state without coming from a dynasty, Ms Tsai is also the first
woman officially to govern a Chinese-speaking nation since Empress Wu Zetian in the eighth century.
She also created history by helping her Democratic Progressive party,
which wants to curb Taiwan’s reliance on China, to win a majority in
the legislature for the first time.
While the plaudits came in from the US and Japan,
Taiwan’s biggest international supporters, as well as the Dalai Lama,
Beijing’s response was typically terse. A statement by the Taiwan Affairs Office simply reiterated that Taiwan belongs to China and that it will continue to oppose “secessionist activities”.
“This basic fact and consensus of the international community will not be changed by the result of the election in Taiwan,” it said.
But many of Taiwan’s 23m people are hoping that the election of the
59-year-old will change everything when she takes up office in May,
after an awkwardly long interregnum. Frustrated with the pro-China
policies advocated by outgoing President Ma Ying-jeou and his Kuomintang
(KMT), or Nationalist party, Taiwanese voted for political, economic
and social change.
Our democratic system, national identity, and international space must be respected. Any forms of suppression will harm cross-strait relations
- Tsai Ing-wen
Hoarse
after a long campaign, in her victory speech Ms Tsai promised to begin a
“new era” for Taiwan, reforming the overburdened pension system,
upgrading struggling industries and delivering low-cost housing.
While pledging to avoid “provocation or surprises” in her approach to
China, she also fired a warning shot at Beijing, which continues to
upset many Taiwanese by restricting their government’s ability to join
international organisations and regional trade pacts.
“Our democratic system, national identity, and international space
must be respected,” she said. “Any forms of suppression will harm the
stability of cross-strait relations.”
By vowing to stand up to China, turn around Taiwan’s ailing economy
and improve welfare in a society with an ageing population and stagnant
graduate salaries, she has set expectations dangerously high.
Yet her image remains low-key, and her life story lacks a dramatic
narrative. Her political career only took off in recent years as
frustration grew with the KMT government and its pro-China stance.
Born in 1956 in southern Taiwan, she grew up in Taipei, the capital,
in a relatively well-off household. Her father ran a successful
automobile repair business and her mother helped him, cooking for the
workers while looking after her children.
Ms Tsai initially wanted to study archaeology or history but her
father questioned how she could make a living, so she took his advice
and studied law.
Rather than follow the corporate path, she opted for academia, taking
a masters at Cornell University in the US and a PhD at the London
School of Economics. As a law professor she advised the Taiwan
government on entry into the World Trade Organisation, before plunging
into politics full-time when she was appointed as the island’s top
negotiator with Beijing in 2000.
She only joined the DPP in 2004 but by 2008 had secured the
chairmanship of the party. In 2010, she narrowly lost the election for
mayor of New Taipei to the KMT’s Eric Chu — a defeat avenged when she
trounced him in Saturday’s presidential contest. In 2012, she aimed for
the presidency but failed again by a small margin.
Her image remains low-key, and her life story lacks a dramatic narrative
Most
politicians would have given up after one, let alone two, such
setbacks. But her professorial exterior belies a gritty determination.
“It’s very rare for political leaders to self-improve,” says Bruce
Jacobs, an expert on Taiwanese politics who knows Ms Tsai. “I strongly
criticised her 2012 campaign but I think she’s become an excellent
political leader.”
Shy and guarded about her private life (she lives alone with her
cats), she used to resent people invading her space at political
rallies. However, Mr Jacobs says she has learnt to deal with the
adulation of her many young fans, and while her speeches remain short on
rhetorical flourishes, her backers appreciate her businesslike
approach.
Chen Chu, the fiery mayor of Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second city, and one
of Ms Tsai’s closest confidants, believes her level-headed friend will
meet lofty expectations and tackle the thorny issue of China.
“She will be a very professional, serious, rational and pragmatic president,” she says.
The writer is the FT’s South China correspondent
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To: carolajie@yahoo.com
Sent: Saturday, January 16, 2016 4:08 PM
Subject: CNN: "Taiwan elects first female President" and more videos
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