TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Former vice presidential hopeful Chao Shao-kang (趙少康) criticized President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Facebook Monday (Aug. 26), claiming Lai's performance in his first 100 days has been worse than former President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文). Chao, a renowned commentator, pointed to Lai's "stubborn personality" and lack of cooperation with opposition parties as significant issues.
Chao argued that despite Lai's election win and the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) legislative seats not exceeding half, Lai ignored the opposition. He cited the recall of Keelung Mayor George Hsieh (謝國樑) as an example of Lai's approach to eliminating dissent.
Chao expressed concern over Taiwan's future under Lai's hardline stance; he pointed out that politics often requires compromise, including cross-strait relations.
Chao further noted that internal strife within the DPP persists, with the 2026 mayoral election battles starting early, leaving Taiwan no chance to recuperate. He also mentioned that while the U.S. and China have internal issues, neither wants conflict in the Taiwan Strait, suggesting that although cross-strait relations might not improve, war is unlikely.
In conclusion, Chao lamented that Taiwanese people's expectations are now meager. "As long as there is no war, they don't care much about domestic affairs or the economy," he said, attributing Lai's sustained approval ratings to this sentiment, which he described as "the people's sorrow."
