In the second of a five-part series on a presidential race that will affect Beijing’s relations with Washington as well as Taipei, the Post focuses on the KMT’s candidate. The embattled ‘runaway mayor’ is dividing opinion, while his mainland-friendly party is beset by division and being outmanoeuvred by Tsai Ing-wen’s DPP.

Heading into 2019, Tsai Ing-wen looked at risk of becoming Taiwan’s first one-term president. Then came the unrest in Hong Kong.

The ongoing protests in Hong Kong have captivated the world, prompting speculation of another brutal Tiananmen-like government crackdown. Rather than viewing Hong Kong merely through the lens of a China problem, however, it may make more sense to see it in the context of the broader Asia-Pacific region.

The ongoing protests in Hong Kong have captivated the world, prompting speculation of another brutal Tiananmen-like government crackdown. Rather than viewing Hong Kong merely through the lens of a China problem, however, it may make more sense to see it in the context of the broader Asia-Pacific region.

A populist mayor in Taiwan who favors closer ties with China won the opposition party’s nomination to run against President Tsai Ing-wen, who has been sharply critical of Beijing’s attempts to pressure the island into unification.

China’s heavy-handed tactics in Hong Kong could be also hurting its cause in neighboring Taiwan.

As debate raged in Hong Kong in recent months over a controversial extradition law that would allow the city to send suspects to mainland China, governments from countries around the world have expressed their concerns. None have been more vocal than Taiwan.

A cacophonous sea of tens of thousands of people, dressed in red and waving flags, chanted and blasted air horns in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital.