Taiwan’s Lai Ching-te to toe US line, as China test looms

WASHINGTON - Taiwan’s President-elect Lai Ching-te will hew closely to the policies of the Tsai government in ways that Washington will find familiar, but he will likely be tested by China.  

The Jan 13 election gave an unprecedented third consecutive term to the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led by Mr Lai and Vice-President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim, a ticket seen to be favouring strong ties with the United States, Taiwan’s most important strategic partner.