Taiwan presidential hopefuls court Southeast Asian diaspora

TAIPEI/JAKARTA — Waving “Team Taiwan” flags, dozens of people at a Jakarta restaurant applaud the candidacy of William Lai Ching-te to become the island’s next president. “May you be chosen!” The event’s emcee calls out Lai in Taiwanese Hokkien.

Lai, Taiwan’s vice president and head of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), is leading the group in the run-up to January elections, widely seen as a vote on relations with China.