Dramatic Week in Taiwan Leaves Pro-US Candidate as Frontrunner

  • Implosion of Beijing-friendly unity ticket helps Lai Ching-te
  • A win for the ruling party would take pressure off Washington
Lai Ching-te and running mate Hsiao Bi-khim in Taipei on Nov. 21.Photographer: I-Hwa Cheng/Bloomberg
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After a week of dramatic twists and turns, Taiwan’s most pro-US candidate has a clearer path to victory in next year’s presidential election, in an outcome likely to frustrate Beijing.

While the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s candidate, Vice President Lai Ching-te, has been ahead in polls all year, a much-hyped alliance between the main opposition camps had threatened to wipe out his lead.