(Reuters) – Taiwan is set to vote on Jan. 13 in presidential and parliamentary elections, held once every four years.
Here is a list of the candidates standing for president and their positions on relations with China:
LAI CHING-TE
Lai, also known by his English name William, is running for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Currently Taiwan’s vice president, he is also the DPP’s chairman, and has consistently led opinion polls.
Lai, along with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, have repeatedly offered talks with China but been rebuffed, as Beijing views them both as separatists.
Lai and Tsai say only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
HOU YU-IH
Hou is the candidate for Taiwan’s main opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT), whose government fled to the island in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s communists.
Hou is the mayor of Taipei’s neighbouring city New Taipei. He was re-elected in a landslide last year but has generally been running third in presidential election opinion polls.
The KMT traditionally favours close ties with China but strongly denies being pro-Beijing. Hou has said he will restart talks with Beijing.
KO WEN-JE
Ko, a former Taipei mayor, is the candidate for the small Taiwan People’s Party. Some polls have put him catching up quickly with Lai, though most have put him in second place.
China should propose a new framework for engagement with Taiwan and explain what Beijing has to offer, Ko said on Tuesday.
TERRY GOU
Gou is the billionaire founder of major Apple supplier Foxconn, though no longer runs the company. He is running as an independent but is polling very low.
Gou has accused the ruling DPP of taking the island to the brink of war with China by its hostile policies and that only he, with his extensive business and personal contacts in China and the U.S., can maintain peace.
(Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Sonali Paul)
