Taiwan presidential frontrunner picks former de-facto ambassador to U.S. as vice president candidate

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The frontrunner in Taiwan’s presidential race has picked the long-term de-facto ambassador to the United States as his vice presidential candidate. Vice President William Lai announced Monday on his Facebook page the nomination of Hsiao Bi-kim who was born in Japan to a Taiwanese father and an American mother. This move would likely bolster support among backers of his ruling Democratic Progressive Party which has long defied Beijing’s demands to concede to rule under the authoritarian Communist Party. Lai and Hsiao face a divided opposition, led by the Nationalist Party, also known as the Kuomintang or KMT, that has sought to draw independent candidates to their ticket.