Tsai Ing-wen
- Tsai became the first female leader of Taiwan (and the first unmarried president) when she was elected in 2016.
- Since taking office she has broken protocol by making overtures to the U.S., creating tensions with mainland China.
- Tsai won reelection in 2020 with more than 57% of the popular vote. Her victory was seen as a rebuke to Beijing's efforts to control the island.
- Tsai's leadership through Covid is seen as a global model; in 2020, Taiwan instituted a rigorous track and trace program to prevent mass contagion.
- She has vowed to make Taiwan an indispensable member of the world by stimulating the ecomony with initiatives in biotech, defense and green energy.
