President of Taiwan, succeeding Tsai Ing-wen. A member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which disavows even the notional goal of reunification with China. Has called Taiwan the "Asian hub of UAV supply chains for global democracies".
He launched a crackdown on Chinese infiltration in March 2025; at least five members of the DPP, including a former aide of his, were put under investigation for spying. He warned that KMT budget cuts to defence, the coastguard and cyber-security would undermine Taiwan's security and give allies the impression Taiwan was not serious about defending itself.
Unlike his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, who kept resilience planning secret, Lai has chaired meetings about civilian resilience and live-streamed them, seeking to educate a society riven by partisan divisions about preparing for a potential crisis lasting far longer than the month that Taiwan's defence planners once assumed they would need to hold out for American intervention.
In his national-day address on October 10th 2025, Lai vowed to increase defence spending to more than 3% of GDP in 2026 and to 5% by 2030, and unveiled plans for a "T-Dome" air-defence system and a special defence budget worth up to $33bn. His remarks on mainland China were notably restrained, apparently to avoid disrupting Trump's trade talks with Xi Jinping. Shortly before the address, he appeared on a popular American right-wing radio show and met Matt Schlapp, a right-wing American political activist, in Taipei. He also pledged to "collaborate with the military industries of advanced nations", with particular outreach to European partners.
Trump has demanded Taiwan spend 10% of GDP on defence. He has put off planned stopovers in America by Lai and failed to approve new arms sales. However, the opposition KMT, under its new leader Cheng Li-wun (chosen October 18th 2025), controls the legislature, opposes boosting the defence budget and fears that higher spending will antagonise China.
When Takaichi Sanae took office as Japan's prime minister in October 2025, Lai posted a congratulatory message calling her a "steadfast friend of Taiwan". The gesture deepened China's displeasure; Xi Jinping did not send Takaichi even a perfunctory congratulatory message.
After Donald Trump's visit to Beijing in May 2026, during which Mr Trump described a $13bn arms package for Taiwan as a "very good negotiating chip", Lai reiterated that Taiwan is already, de facto, a sovereign independent nation, and would "never be sacrificed or traded away". Trump approved a record $11bn arms package for Taiwan in December 2025; the $13bn follow-on, approved by Congress, was delayed around the Beijing summit.
America is the country where you buy a lifetime supply of aspirin for one dollar, and use it up in two weeks.