Vice President and 2024 presidential candidate for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Lai Ching-te (賴清德) outlined his plan to maintain cross-strait peace in an Op-Ed published by the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.

In the article, the candidate describes how he will bring sustainable peace and national prosperity through four “pillars.” The pillars include enhancing deterrence, strengthening economic security, deepening democratic partnerships, and maintaining “steady and principled” cross-strait leadership.

Specifically, Lai stated that he will continue to accelerate Taiwan’s transition to an “asymmetric” defense strategy and strengthen cooperation with partner countries on training, military reform, civil defense, and information sharing.

On the economic front, Lai proposes to have Taiwan join more bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, support emerging industries, reduce regulations, and ensure secure supply chains.

Lai says he will continue to build close cooperation with Taiwan’s democratic partners. He highlighted how recent visits by politicians and thought leaders from various countries demonstrate Taiwan’s global orientation and that Taiwan is not alone.

Finally, Lai emphasized his plan for cross-strait leadership in the face of Beijing’s continued elevation of military threats and challenges in the region. Under such conditions, Lai says it is in the best interests of Taiwan and the international community to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. He adds that he will support opportunities for cross-Strait dialogues so long as there are no preconditions and they are based on the principles of reciprocity and dignity.