Lai Ching-te

Lai Ching‑te
賴清德
Official portrait, 2020
President-elect of the Republic of China
Assuming office 20 May 2024
Premier	Cho Jung-tai
Vice President	Hsiao Bi-khim (elect)
Succeeding	Tsai Ing-wen
12th Vice President of the Republic of China
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 May 2020
President	Tsai Ing-wen
Preceded by	Chen Chien-jen
18th Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 January 2023
Secretary General	Hsu Li-ming Yang Yi-shan
Preceded by	Chen Chi-mai (acting)
29th Premier of the Republic of China
In office 8 September 2017 – 14 January 2019
President	Tsai Ing-wen
Vice Premier	Shih Jun-ji
Preceded by	Lin Chuan
Succeeded by	Su Tseng-chang
1st Mayor of Tainan
In office 25 December 2010 – 7 September 2017
Deputy	Hsu He-chun
Preceded by	Hsu Tain-tsair
Succeeded by	Li Meng-yen (acting)
Member of the Legislative Yuan
In office 1 February 2008 – 25 December 2010
Constituency	Tainan II
In office 1 February 1999 – 31 January 2008
Constituency	Tainan City
Personal details
Born	(1959-10-06) 6 October 1959 (age 64) Wanli, Taipei County, Taiwan (Now Wanli, New Taipei City, Taiwan)
Political party	Democratic Progressive Party
Spouse	Wu Mei-ju ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	2
Education	National Taiwan University (BS) National Cheng Kung University (BMed) Harvard University (MPH)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	賴清德
Simplified Chinese	赖清德
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Lài Qīngdé Bopomofo ㄌㄞˋ ㄑㄧㄥ ㄉㄜˊ Wade–Giles Lai4 Chʻing1-te2 Tongyong Pinyin Lài Cing-dé IPA [lâɪ tɕʰíŋ.tɤ̌] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Laih Chīng Dàk Jyutping lai6 cing1 dak1 IPA [lɐi˨ tsʰeŋ˥ tɐk̚˥˧] Southern Min Hokkien POJ Loā Chheng-tek Tâi-lô Luā Tshing-tik

Lai Ching-te (Chinese: 賴清德; Hanyu Pinyin: Lài Qīngdé; Tongyong Pinyin: Lài Cing-dé; Wade–Giles: Lai⁴ Ch’ing¹-te²; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lōa Chheng-tek; Zhuyin Fuhao: ㄌㄞˋ ㄑㄧㄥ ㄉㄜˊ; 6 October 1959^[1][2][3]), also known as William Lai, is a Taiwanese politician and former physician who is the current vice president and president-elect of Taiwan, having won the 2024 presidential election. His inauguration will be held on 20 May 2024. He is due to be the third incumbent vice president of Taiwan to become president, and the first to assume the office through election instead of a predecessor's death.

Born to a working-class coal mining family in Taipei County, Lai studied rehabilitation and public health at universities in Taipei, ultimately obtaining a Master's degree from Harvard University in 2003. After serving as the president of the National Physician Support Association, Lai ran in the 1996 Legislative Yuan election, winning a seat representing Tainan City. After being re-elected to the Legislative Yuan four consecutive times, Lai ran for Mayor of Tainan in 2010. Lai won and served as mayor for seven years, winning reelection in 2014. In September 2017, President Tsai Ing-wen announced Lai would replace outgoing premier Lin Chuan. He has served as vice president since 2020.

On 24 November 2018, Lai announced his intention to resign from the premiership after the Democratic Progressive Party suffered a major defeat in local elections, and left office on 14 January 2019 after the swearing-in of his successor Su Tseng-chang.^[4][5] Lai mounted a challenge against Tsai in the 2019 Democratic Progressive Party presidential primary and after defeat, served as Tsai's running mate in the 2020 Taiwan presidential election in which the tandem was victorious.^[6][7] In April 2023, Lai was nominated by the DPP as their presidential candidate for the 2024 presidential election and was elected with 40.05% of votes.

Describing himself as a "pragmatic worker for Taiwanese independence", Lai favors preserving the current status quo in regards to the political status of Taiwan, arguing that it is already independent, as well as strengthening relations with the United States and other liberal democracies.