Taiwan presidential candidate pledges to protect against China

The candidate likely to represent the ruling party at Taiwan’s next presidential election, Vice President William Lai, pledged on Wednesday to protect the island against China and ensure peace, as he formally registered to run in the campaign.
Lai is the front-runner to be the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate in next January’s presidential election.
He assumed the DPP’s chairmanship in January this year after President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as chairwoman in November following the DPP’s trouncing at local elections. Tsai cannot run again as president due to constitutional term limits.
Speaking at party headquarters as he registered to run as the party’s candidate in its election primary, Lai said Taiwan stood on the frontlines of democracy.