Xi's rule in China won't last forever: Taiwan presidential candidate

Ko Wen-je says Japan is the island's 'most important ally in Asia'

20230608 Wen-Je Ko, Taiwan People's Party Chairman

Taiwanese presidential candidate Ko Wen-je speaks to reporters in Tokyo on June 8. (Screenshot from FCCJ's website)

THOMPSON CHAU, Contributing writer

June 8, 2023 18:20 JST

TAIPEI -- Xi Jinping's rule over China will not last forever, and there should be hopes that universal values and soft power will eventually bring China into the world of democracy, a Taiwanese presidential candidate said Thursday during a visit to Tokyo.

"If we believe in universal values, then why do we think China will never have democracy and freedom?" Ko Wen-je, nominee for the Taiwan's People's Party (TPP) for the January 2024 presidential election, told the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan.