Taiwan opposition party picks New Taipei mayor, a former police chief, as its presidential candidate

By HUIZHONG WU
Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s opposition Nationalist Party has picked the popular mayor of New Taipei City as its candidate in next year’s presidential election, seen as a referendum on the island’s future relations with China. Hou Yu-ih, who is also the former head of the National Police Agency, will face current Vice President William Lai of the governing Democratic Progressive Party in the January polls. The Nationalists seek warmer ties with mainland China, while the governing party is seen as pro-independence. Hou has said little publicly about his approach to China, focusing instead on local politics. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and has repeatedly threatened to take the island by force.