Editor’s Note (December 14, 2023): A transcript of our interview with Ms. Hsiao can be found here. And our poll tracker shows who’s leading in Taiwan’s presidential race.”
BBefore Hsiao Bi-Khim was sent to Washington in 2020, she was asked how she would counter China’s so-called wolf warrior diplomacy. Taiwan’s new de facto ambassador to America says she will be a “feline warrior.” Inspired by her four beloved felines, she is said to be adorable, agile and flexible. Cats “can balance in very tricky places,” she tells Banyan. “They are moving slowly, but they… are able to find the right defensive positions.” What’s more, adds Hsiao, who recently returned to Taiwan to participate in elections scheduled for January 13 as the vice-presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), cats are independent-minded. “We can’t force them to do things they don’t want to do.”
Ms. Hsiao’s candidacy is a strong signal that the DPP plans to maintain its current position towards China under the leadership of William Lai, its presidential candidate and big favorite in the election. Under Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan’s current president, this policy has been characterized by avoiding unnecessary provocations while asserting Taiwanese sovereignty. This is reassuring for America, where Ms. Hsiao’s feline influence has won her many friends and admirers, but irritating for China. He sanctioned Ms. Hsiao twice and called her an “inflexible separatist.”
Ms. Hsiao is unfazed. A politician before becoming a diplomat, she was once the DPPTaiwan’s director of international affairs and advised both Chen Shui-bian, the prime minister of Taiwan DPP President and Mrs. Tsai. Ms. Hsiao spent eight years as a lawmaker in Hualien, a rural district home to the Kuomintang opposition (KMT), who wants reunification with China, enjoys significant support. His ability to gain the trust of local farmers earned him a reputation as a skillful civic campaigner. Today, she exudes confidence in her domestic support. She and Ms Tsai, a fellow cat lover, have become minor social media stars in Taiwan, appearing in videos with their furry pets.
Sitting at dpp headquarters in Taipei, Ms. Hsiao shows a photo of the party’s founders, who launched it in 1986 to resist KMT’s authoritarian regime. They were “willing to risk their lives” for the sake of Taiwan’s democratization, she said with admiration. They were mostly in favor of Taiwan’s independence, which is why China denounces the DPP as a “separatist” group. In fact, it has become more moderate since Ms. Tsai became president in 2016. She does not advocate outright independence for Taiwan, but the continuation of de facto separation and peaceful relations across the Taiwan Strait. This is “the most practical approach to Taiwan’s status,” said Ms. Hsiao. This is consistent with the anti-conflict view of most Taiwanese, she notes, and is a position that Taiwan’s friends and allies can support.
Such pragmatism has proven indispensable in recent years. Ms. Hsiao visited Washington just as America was moving from engagement with China to competition. Taiwan has quickly become a belligerent talking point for hot-blooded American politicians. Some are strong supporters of Taiwan independence. Ms. Hsiao refuses to say whether or not these discussions have been useful to Taiwan. The important thing, she says, is that under Donald Trump and Joe Biden, there has been bipartisan American support for Taiwan. As vice president, she would be responsible for maintaining that support after the U.S. elections, scheduled for next November, regardless of who wins the White House.
Managing relations between the two shores would be more difficult. Taiwan’s opposition parties criticize the DPPHong Kong’s failure to engage with the Chinese Communist Party, which cut off all contact with Ms Tsai after she refused to say Taiwan was part of China. Ms. Hsiao says that DPP is in principle open to dialogue. Taiwan should also be “clear-eyed” about its trade dependence on China, she said. This figure has remained constant under Ms Tsai, despite China’s coercive bans on imports of Taiwanese products.
Ms. Hsiao’s promise is therefore that of continuity. Under the leadership of Mr. Lai, the current vice president, Taiwan would continue to build alliances and strengthen its defenses. “Like cats, we can be warm and cuddly, but don’t bother us,” she says. Tensions would therefore remain high across the Taiwan Strait – a harsh message for many Taiwanese, especially young voters, tired of hearing about the Chinese threat while they face expensive housing and low wages. Recent polls suggest that DPP‘s lead is only about 3-6% (see the latest at economist.com/taiwan-tracker). Ms. Hsiao’s feline confidence is convincing. But it remains to be seen whether Taiwanese voters will be convinced of this.■
Correction (December 14, 2023): An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Ms. Hsiao had spent ten years as a legislator in Hualien, not eight. Sorry.
Read more from Banyan, our Asia columnist:
Rohingya refugees return to the sea (December 7)
The Burmese junta suffers surprising defeats (November 16)
Australia and China work things out (November 7)