His father died in an accident in the pits when Lai was just 2 years old, leaving his mother to raise six children alone. Money was tight. Instead of toys, Lai had banyan trees to climb; instead of new clothes, he wore castoffs; he didn't have privilege, he had to prove himself. Today, Lai, 64, is the front runner in Taiwan's January elections to replace outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, who represents the same Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) but is ineligible to stand for a third term.
"One of the biggest assets my father left me was being impoverished," Lai tells TIME in an interview in late October. "Because in this environment, I worked harder, more vigorously on everything I did. It gave me a sense of determination."
Two days after our conversation, Lai returned to Wanli on the campaign trail, where he was greeted with presumptive shouts of "Hello, President!" After lighting incense at a lantern-filled temple, Lai promised the assembled crowd he would improve transport links and health care facilities for seniors, before turning to more weighty concerns. "My first priority is to maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region," Lai told a throng of farmers and crab fishermen.
Lai may not worry about typhoons these days, but geopolitical winds continue to batter the Taiwanese. Beijing considers the self-governing island of 23 million its sovereign territory and has vowed to reclaim it - by force if necessary. It remains the most combustive of the myriad squabbles that today define relations between the world's superpowers. On four occasions, President Joe Biden has vowed to protect Taiwan from Chinese military aggression. Lai knows war benefits nobody. "Taiwan hopes to be friends with China - we don't wish to be enemies," he says.
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