Trump's words cause of consternation for Lai: China Daily editorial
China DailyThe Taipei 101 skyscraper commands the urban landscape in Taipei, Taiwan. Given the direct bearing it will have on the United States' support for the "pro-independence" cause he espouses for the island, the leader of the secessionist-minded Taiwan authorities Lai Ching-te must be one of the keenest followers of the US presidential election situation. Lai's hard-line "pro-independence" speech at a meeting of the Democratic Progressive Party on Sunday, shortly after US President Joe Biden announced he was ending his reelection bid, must be taken with a pinch of salt. Unlike Biden's stress on a "united front" against Beijing, based on the US' global alliance network, Trump has held to his hallmark "America first" principle during his ongoing election campaign as well. That Cho Jung-tai, head of the island's "executive yuan", responded by saying that Taiwan is "willing to take on more responsibility" and would defend itself only serves to expose the Lai authorities' anxiety at the prospect of more conditional US support.