TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Japanese scholar Yoshiyuki Ogasawara (小笠原欣幸) on Wednesday (Sept. 25) praised President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) for his strong leadership in combating corruption since taking office. Despite various challenges, Ogasawara noted that the overall situation remains stable under Lai's administration.
Ogasawara discussed Lai's leadership style during a conversation at National Tsing Hua University. He highlighted Lai's confident handling of a recent cabinet personnel issue, which saw the resignation of the transportation minister. Lai's decision to appoint a less experienced candidate in transportation reflects his confidence in leading the entire administrative team, Ogasawara said.
He also emphasized the deep cooperation between Lai and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰). He acknowledged that while the ruling party has faced several issues, the administration's overall stability has been maintained.
When asked about Lai's governance style and its impact on cross-strait relations, Ogasawara mentioned that Japan and the U.S. have been closely monitoring Taiwan since last year's elections.
In his May inauguration speech, Lai reaffirmed his commitment to the status quo, which reassured both Japan and the U.S. Ogasawara believes Lai will likely reiterate this stance in future overseas interviews to strengthen Taiwan's cooperation with the two countries.
He also noted that although Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) may want to change the status quo, it is unlikely that China would resort to military action if Taiwan maintains its current system.
Ogasawara concluded by stating that scholars studying cross-strait relations generally agree on the low probability of conflict. The U.S. and Japan remain hopeful that Lai will steadfastly uphold this policy.
