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In Taiwan, Han Kuo-yu, a populist mayor in favor of rapprochement with Beijing, has been named as the main opposition party's candidate, the Kuomintang, in the next presidential election in January 2020. He will face current president Tsai Ing-wen , fierce opponent of Chinese leaders and the principle of "single China".
The battle promises to be tough for the presidential election in January 2020, as the political and economic stakes are immense for the island. For President Tsai Ing-wen , who stands as a bulwark against the aggressiveness of Beijing, it will be a fight " for freedom and democracy ."
On the other hand, his opponent Han Kuo-yu promised to make peace with China and improve the economic situation. But who is Han Kuo-yu? Relatively unknown two years ago, this 62-year-old outsider, former director of an agricultural products company, became known last November by winning the mayoralty of Kaohsiung, the historic stronghold of the Progressive Democratic Party in power. On Monday, he won the Kuomintang primary prize handily, inflicting a serious setback this time on billionaire Terry Gou, the founder of technology giant Foxconn.
This meteoric rise accentuates the mistrust of Tsai Ing-wen's supporters. Very low in the polls, the Taiwanese leader is experiencing a new popularity. On tour in the Caribbean since last Thursday, she hopes to renew ties with Taiwan's allies, but also strengthen the dialogue with the United States, during two stopovers (Haiti and the United States) that angered Beijing.