Tsai Ing-wen

Gender used to be a barrier for women to overcome if they wanted to be in politics, but today in Taiwan the situation is somewhat different. I think there is even a preference for a woman candidate, and in local elections, we have seen that younger, better-educated female candidates are overwhelmingly preferred by the voters.

We attach great importance to the peaceful development of cross-strait relations. But if our diplomatic relations is subject to China's goodwill, we will lose the autonomy of our diplomacy.

A more consistent and sustainable relationship with China will be a core goal of my administration. That requires open channels of communication, both with China's leadership and the Taiwanese people.

I was not considered a kid that would be successful in my career.

Ma Ying-jeou tends to use cross-strait policy as an election tool and a political tool, too, and my position is that we don't use that as a political tool because that is an issue that is critical and essential to the interests of the Taiwanese people.

Democracy is not just an election, it is our daily life.

Politically, of course, the U.S., despite the flaws in its systems, is still a democracy - we like to associate with democracies. And strategically, the U.S. is a counter-balance to China, a rising China that is not yet a democracy.

We treat China as a normal trading and economic partner.

To me, providing a new economic way forward is of utmost urgency and will be of foremost importance for the new DPP administration if I am elected.

I have promised on many occasions that I will build a consistent, predictable and sustainable cross-strait relationship.

In the face of love, everyone is equal. Let everyone have the freedom to love and to pursue their happiness. I am Tsai Ing-wen, and I support marriage equality.

I have this idea of a Taiwan Consensus, which means people in Taiwan have to get together and form a consensus of their own and that they turn around to talk to the Chinese to form a cross-strait consensus so we can build a relationship on that consensus. And in my view, that is the right order to do things.