Lai Ching-te

Taiwan's president whose inauguration in May 2024 triggered China's Joint Sword-2024B military exercises. Lai has maintained Taiwan's democratic identity while navigating the narrowing space between Beijing's military pressure and Washington's strategic ambiguity under the Trump administration.

William Lai Ching-te was born on October 6, 1959, in New Taipei City. The son of a coal miner, he worked his way through school and studied medicine at National Taiwan University. He served as Mayor of Tainan, Vice President of Taiwan (2020–2024), and Premier before winning the 2024 presidential election with the Democratic Progressive Party. Beijing labels him a 'separatist'; he describes himself as a 'pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence'.