Vice President William Lai (賴清德) has picked Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) to be his running mate for January’s election, with an official announcement to be made on Monday, sources with direct knowledge said.
Hsiao, 52, who has been Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the US since 2020, has been considered by party officials, diplomats and Taiwanese media for months to be the most likely running mate for Lai.
Now the decision has been made, a formal announcement is to come on Monday once Hsiao returns to Taiwan from the APEC summit in San Francisco, four sources briefed on the matter told Reuters.
Photo: Reuters
Well known in Washington, Hsiao could act as a key liaison for Taipei and Washington, one of the sources said.
“It’s a crucial role and she has the needed international experience,” the source said on condition of anonymity.
Vincent Chao (趙怡翔), spokesperson for the Lai campaign, yesterday declined to comment on Hsiao’s role, but said an announcement on a running mate would be made on Monday.
“This candidate will reinforce our commitment to the people of Taiwan and the international community that democracy, peace and prosperity will continue to be our guiding values,” he said.
Ivan Kanapathy, who regularly met with Hsiao when he was deputy senior director for Asia at the US National Security Council, said that Hsiao is a “tireless advocate” for Taiwan.
“If Ambassador Hsiao becomes vice president, her knowledge, experience and relationships would be invaluable for national security and foreign policy in the next Taiwanese administration,” said Kanapathy, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.
Hsiao has been “very engaged on Taiwan’s defense reform efforts, which are drawing on lessons from Ukraine,” he said, pointing to examples such as initiatives for Taiwan to acquire more munitions, including Patriot missiles and drones.
Lai has during the past week talked up Hsiao in interviews with local media, without directly confirming he had picked her, calling her “very principled” and “thorough.”
Hsiao was born in Japan to a Taiwanese father and American mother, and initially worked in the office of then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and then as a Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday referred to Lai and Hsiao as an “independence double act” and that Taiwanese are “very clear” about what both of them teaming up means for the “situation in the Taiwan Strait.”
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