Chiang Kai-shek’s Great-Grandson Leads Polls in Key Taiwan Race

Cindy Wang
·2 min read
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(Bloomberg) -- The great-grandson of former Taiwan leader Chiang Kai-shek leads polls in the race to be the next mayor of Taipei, as the island prepares for local elections that present a key test for President Tsai Ing-wen’s leadership.

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Lawmaker Chiang Wan-an of the Kuomintang was seen as the likely winner by 37.8% of respondents in a survey published on Monday by the Liberty Times, a newspaper that generally backs the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

That figure topped DPP candidate Chen Shih-chung’s 30.4% and independent Huang Shan-shan’s 11.2%. The polling covered 1,067 respondents and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

Voters across Taiwan will choose new city and county leaders on Nov. 26. Tsai needs a strong showing by DPP candidates to strengthen her hand over the final two years of her presidency, especially as she pushes back at China’s claims to the island.

It would also give Tsai, who has led Taiwan since 2016, greater say on a potential successor from within the DPP in the next presidential contest in 2024.

Read: Xi’s Fiery Taiwan Rhetoric Raises Risk of War in His Third Term

In a campaign speech Saturday in Taipei, Tsai urged voters to help the DPP avoid a mid-term defeat similar to one it suffered four years ago. That result prompted China to try to make Taiwan “bow” to it, she said.

“In 2018, when we faced a setback, China viewed the result as a signal to demand everything from Taiwan,” she said.

The remarks referenced Chinese President Xi Jinping suggesting in January 2019 that China and Taiwan enter into “in-depth democratic consultations” and work toward unification.

The KMT’s Chiang graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, worked as a corporate lawyer in the US, and about a decade ago returned to Taiwan.

His main challenger is Chen, who was health minister from 2017 until earlier this year. Chen led Taiwan’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, hosting daily briefings.

Huang is a former deputy mayor of Taipei who is known for serving as city councilor for more than 20 years. She served under Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, who is stepping down after two four-year terms.

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