TAIPEI -- Tsai Ing-wen, the leader of Taiwan's opposition Democratic Progressive Party, who many expect to win the presidential race in January, has said she wants to forge closer relations with the U.S. and reduce economic dependence on China.
Statements made by Tsai during a 12-day trip to the U.S., Taiwan's most important strategic partner, raise the possibility next year of a shift away from the China friendly policies of Taiwan's incumbent Nationalist president, Ma Ying-jeou. This comes as tension between the two major powers, which vie for influence in Asia, has risen over an intractable territorial dispute over islands in the South China Sea.
