President Lai Ching-te's first year in office was always going to be unprecedented. As the first president of Taiwan to win a third consecutive term for his party since democratization, and the first in two decades to lead a divided government, his term so far has been complicated by political infighting, cross-strait tensions and the need to navigate sometimes tricky relationships with other world leaders.
00:00A historic win. On January 13, 2024, Taiwan chose Democratic Progressive Party candidate
00:23Lai Ching-te to lead the country for the next four years as its fifth directly elected president.
00:30In the future, every day I adore the well, with a low love, bold compassion and kindness.
00:38As a person who has not gone to each other, I will not be happy for the next 24 days.
00:44The new government will also be able to embrace the most good performance and look forward to the new administration.
00:51We want to continue to move forward, to create a new city of Taiwan's political power.
01:03Promising to protect democracy and improve the lives of the people,
01:07Lai won the support of 5.5 million people, 40% of voters,
01:11who hoped the new president and his party, the DPP,
01:15would lead Taiwan to a strong and stable future in their third consecutive presidency,
01:20unprecedented in the democratic era.
01:23But election results elsewhere complicated things for the new president.
01:27The two main opposition parties, the Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party,
01:31who also fielded candidates in the presidential election,
01:34won a combined majority in the legislature,
01:36meaning Taiwan would have a divided government for the first time in 20 years.
01:41A decisive split that would define Lai's first year in office.
01:49Days before Lai took office on May 20, 2024,
01:58fighting had already broken out in the legislature
02:00over controversial amendments proposed by the opposition
02:03that would change the dynamics of power between lawmakers and the presidential office,
02:08spurring tens of thousands of protesters to gather outside the legislature.
02:12It marked the start of a year of growing partisan divides,
02:22spurring physical fights between lawmakers, protests, and more controversial legislation
02:27that's brought the highest court to a standstill
02:30and sparked countrywide calls for mass lawmaker removals.
02:34Lai's administration has also been plagued by increasing threats from China,
02:38including frequent incursions into the air and waters near Taiwan,
02:42and a record number of Chinese espionage cases
02:45within Taiwan's active and retired military ranks.
02:49In March this year, Lai called for stronger oversight in the military
02:53and called for a reintroduction of courts marshal,
02:56meaning stricter sentences for military officers who break the law.
03:00Since then, the government's cracked down on what it calls societal infiltration,
03:25including celebrities going to China and Chinese influencers living in Taiwan
03:30who create content seen as promoting unification by force.
03:34But Lai's administration has also tried to improve the quality of life and morale among soldiers,
03:39such as by raising military allowances.
03:42It's also urged the public not to stigmatize Chinese people in Taiwan
03:46just because of a few extreme cases.
03:49Another shakeup in Lai's first term, a new U.S. president.
03:53In facing a second Donald Trump presidency,
03:56Lai has stood firm in asserting Taiwan's value to the U.S.,
03:59trying to find even footing, even as Taiwan seeks Washington's support.
04:17Taiwan's key bargaining chip, its semiconductor industry.
04:20But even as its biggest companies sign investment deals with the U.S.,
04:24the country has still been hit with heavy tariffs of 32 percent by Trump,
04:29although the final number is still up for negotiation.
04:33Now, Lai is looking to prove Taiwan can stand up for itself in tariff negotiations with the U.S.
04:39and in ramping up defenses against China,
04:41while also proving his strength as a leader and breaking the current domestic political impasse.
04:47Tall orders that many in Taiwan are concerned about.
04:51The most important decision is to do the same problem with your tailors.
04:53The best decision is to take good tariffs on the other side.
04:55I don't want to say something like that, to push against the other side, to push against the other side, and to push against the other side.
05:02I hope he can use his mind in the economy, and don't want to do these things like this, like this, like this, like this, I think it's not necessary.
05:13You can see that on the internet, everyone is not aware of the other side, but it's going to be willing to say that, and to say that,
05:21I think that the situation in the future for three years, so long for a long time to look at the future, will it be more intense?
05:33I think it's a bad thing, so I hope he can be able to be able to be able to bring people to the people, to the people, to the people, to the people, to the people, to the people.
05:47I think we've been looking forward to spending money, and other benefits of young people from abroad.
06:00So I hope that they can create more young people's space,
06:07and make sure that everyone can grow in different areas.
06:12As Lai's first year in office comes to a close, he faces a mounting list of challenges,
06:18shouldering the hopes and futures of the 23 million people in Taiwan for the next three years.
06:24Kamashui and Tiffany Wong in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.
