Lai Ching-te has outlined a set of policies targeted at infants, children and young people from birth till age 22.^[1] For children aged 6 and under, Lai plans to update the government’s existing child care policy.^[2] He aims to raise the percentage of children aged 0-3 in daycare to the OECD average of 36% and gradually increase the number of publicly funded daycare centers.^[3] Lai says he would also increase grants for families sending their firstborn children under the age of 2 to public childcare centers and quasi-public care centers.^[4] For working parents, Lai says he increase subsidies and push for longer daycare hours, as well as promoting winter and summer vacation services at public kindergartens.^[5] Under Lai’s plan, daycare and kindergarten teachers would receive salary raises and a guarantee of yearly raises based on seniority.^[6] He would also lower student-teacher ratios.^[7] Lastly, Lai says he will promote flexible child care leave for parents and encourage companies to open kindergartens on their premises.^[8]

References: 

[1] 在上週，我第一次以總統候選人的身份，公布國家希望工程的願景總綱。今天，我正式向國人提出「0-22歲投資未來世代」的主題政策方案。

[2] 對於「0-6 歲」學齡前的幼童與家庭，我們提出「0-6 歲國家一起養 2.0」

[3] 對策一：讓0-3歲家外送托率達到OECD國家水準（36%），逐步增加公共化比例，並優化準公共的品質管理。 

[4] In particular, he said he would expand the monthly subsidies to families sending firstborn children aged 2 and under to the public childcare center from the currently NT$5,500 to NT$7,000. In the meantime, families sending their firstborn child in that age group to quasi-public care centers would get a monthly grant of NT$13,000, instead of the current NT$8,500, he said. 

[5] 對策三：為配合家長上班時間及托育需求，由政府補助支持人力，推動公共幼兒園寒暑假服務，延長平日托育時間，增加定點臨托服務場所。

[6] 對策四：目前0-2歲公共化托育人員起薪剛調漲為3萬5,485元，準公共托嬰中心/幼兒園托育教保人員起薪為3萬元，未來將保障托育及教保人員薪資待遇，依年資提高薪資基準。

[7] 調降各年齡層托育師生比，由公共化幼兒園先行實施，3-6歲師生比調降為1:12，以及0-未滿2歲調降為1:4。

[8] 推動實施彈性的育嬰假，鼓勵企業結合準公共政策，增加附設園所，廣設符合兒少身心發展的運動及遊樂場所。 

Lai Ching-te has vowed to uphold the cross-strait policy of Taiwan’s outgoing president, Tsai Ing-wen.^[1] That includes her “four commitments”: that Taiwan must maintain a free and democratic system; that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other; that there should be no annexation or encroachment on Taiwan’s sovereignty; and that the future of Taiwan must be decided by the Taiwanese people.^[2]

In 2017, Lai described himself as a “political worker who advocates Taiwanese independence,” later changing his phrasing to “pragmatic supporter of Taiwanese independence.”^[3] Like President Tsai, he says Taiwan has no need to declare independence, because it is already an independent country called the Republic of China (Taiwan).^[4]

Lai has also outlined a four-pillar plan for peace based on strengthening Taiwan’s military and civil defense to deter an attack; diversifying trade to reduce Taiwan’s dependence on China; building partnerships with other democracies; and a commitment to “steady and principled cross-strait leadership.” ^[5] He says his government would be willing to hold talks with China based on the principles of mutual respect and recognition of sovereignty.^[6]

References: 

[1] 民進黨主席暨總統參選人賴清德今天(9日)出席中國事務部主辦「中國事務小組」諮詢委員會議致詞表示，自己的兩岸政策和蔡英文總統的兩岸路線一致，「四個堅持」講得非常清楚。 

[2] 蔡總統提出「堅持自由民主的憲政體制、堅持中華民國與中華人民共和國互不隸屬、堅持主權不容侵犯併吞、堅持中華民國臺灣的前途，必須由兩千三百萬人民共同決定」的「四個堅持」，都講得很清楚。 

English translation here: Let us here renew with one another our enduring commitment to a free and democratic constitutional system, our commitment that the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China should not be subordinate to each other, our commitment to resist annexation or encroachment upon our sovereignty, and our commitment that the future of the Republic of China (Taiwan) must be decided in accordance with the will of the Taiwanese people.

[3]〔記者鄭鴻達、楊淳卉／台北報導〕行政院長賴清德昨首度在立法院進行施政方針報告並備詢。對於兩岸關係，賴昨上午答詢時表示「我是主張台灣獨立的政治工作者，不管擔任哪個職務都不會改變」，下午再補充說，他是「務實的台獨主義者」、「我們已是主權獨立國家，不需另行宣布獨立」。 

[4] 事實上已經是一個主權獨立的國家, 不必另行宣布獨立 (1:41-1:47)  

[5] The article proposed four main "pillars" of peace, beginning with the need for Taiwan to continue building its defense capabilities, in order to reduce "the risk of armed conflict by raising the stakes and the costs for Beijing." ... The second pillar of Lai's plan was the notion that "economic security is national security." Despite Taiwan's economic achievements, he said, trade dependencies toward China have created vulnerabilities that can be exploited through economic coercion. ... Third, Lai emphasized the importance of forming partnerships with democracies around the world. ... The final component of Lai's plan was a commitment to "steady and principled cross-strait leadership."  

[6] "I will [also] never rule out the possibility of dialogue without preconditions, based on the principles of reciprocity and dignity," Lai said.

Lai Ching-te says he plans to build up Taiwan’s deterrence against attack by accelerating the military’s transition into an “asymmetric fighting force,” using cheap and mobile weaponry to resist aggression by a much larger foe.^[1] Lai also wants to work more closely with Taiwan’s international partners, particularly Japan and the United States.^[2] With Japan, Lai has called for a regular military dialogue to be set up.^[3] He also says Taiwan would benefit from taking part in joint exercises with the United States and Taiwan’s neighboring countries.^[4]

References: 

[1] I will also expedite our transition into an asymmetric fighting force, focusing on cost-effective and mobile capabilities. 

[2] I will seek greater cooperation with partners and allies, particularly in training, force restructuring, civil defense and information sharing.  

[3] 副總統賴清德今在一場台日座談會致詞指出，希望未來台灣、日本在經濟、民主、國防、和平的四個面向持續合作，創造雙贏；針對保護和平的面向，賴副總統指出，除了必須增強國防力量外，日本跟台灣的國防合作非常重要，未來台日應該建立軍事對話機制，讓兩個國家彼此的國防力量有更進一步合作。 

[4] 對此，行政院長賴清德昨（2）日表示，台灣若能加入美國與其周邊國家的聯合軍演，對台灣的整體防衛，或是對周邊國家的聯合防衛，都是很好的事情。

Lai Ching-te's energy plan is a continuation of the current Democratic Progressive Party administration’s policy. Like President Tsai, Lai wants to phase out nuclear energy by 2025, although he says the government is looking into keeping a nuclear reactor ready to be restarted in case of emergency.^[1] Lai says if the issues of waste and safety were to be solved in the future, he would not oppose the use of nuclear energy.^[2] To reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Lai and the current government aim to cut coal power to 30% of the energy mix by 2025, while raising natural gas to 50% and renewable energy to 20%.^[3] The government now says it will hit its renewable target a year late, in 2026.^[4] Under the government’s current plan, by 2050, 60% to 70% of Taiwan’s energy will come from renewable sources, another 9% to 12% will come from hydrogen gas, 1% from pumped storage and 20% to 27% from fossil fuels using as-yet under-developed carbon capture technology.^[5]

References:  

[1] 賴清德說，非核家園政策好不容易確立，大家對於非核家園也沒有爭議，不必走回頭路使用核電，除非未來核能發展能安全又能解決核廢料問題，目前走向非核家園理由是要安全、無法處理核廢料，除非未來有一天全世界科技可以解決問題，否則持續往非核走。 

民進黨主席賴清德昨天出席校園總統馬拉松論壇時提到，相關單位正規劃讓停機的核電機組維持緊急使用效能，以備不時之需，引起關注。

^{[2] "In the future, if new technology can resolve nuclear energy safety issues and the problem relating to nuclear waste, I believe [Taiwanese] society will accept it [nuclear power]," said Lai, who is also vice president, during a press conference at the ruling party's Taipei headquarters.}

[3] Taiwan has set the goal of having 20 percent of its energy come from renewable sources and 50 percent from low-carbon natural gas by 2025, thus lowering its energy from coal-burning power plants to 30 percent of the total.

[4] These developments — in conjunction with a projection that the nation’s energy consumption would decrease this year — would put Taiwan within reach of the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ revised target of boosting renewable energy sources to 20 percent of electricity production by 2026, they said.  

[5] 根據路徑圖，2050年再生能源將占60%至70%、氫氣9%至12%，火力加上碳捕捉、利用與封存技術（CCUS）約占20%至27%，抽蓄水力1%。 

Lai Ching-te says Taiwan’s life expectancy has risen to 81, but the average person spends 10% of their life in ill health.^[1] To address that, Lai has outlined a nine-point plan. That includes passing a “health charter” to ensure all future government policies have a positive effect on public health; continuing to raise the standard of health care through training and international collaboration; improving working conditions and raising pay for medical personnel, especially nurses; ensuring the health insurance system is sustainably funded; raising the standard of care for children to cut the infant mortality rate; expanding mental health care access for young people and local communities; boosting prevention and testing of cancer with a new NT$10 billion (US$310 million) fund for new cancer treatments to cut Taiwan’s cancer mortality rate by a third by 2030; improving health care for Indigenous communities; and promoting collaboration between the biomedical and ICT industries to make Taiwan a world leader in biomedicine.^[2]

For social care, Lai plans to update the government’s Long-term Care Plan 2.0 into 3.0 by hiring more care workers offering live-in or home-visit services, opening more care homes, and raising subsidies for care home residents from NT$120,000 (US$3,700) to NT$180,000 a year (US$5,600).^[3] He also plans to ease the burden on family members who care for their relatives by encouraging flexible work routines, ensure more older people can access community care, and create a holistic system of social care with an emphasis on home visits by medical professionals.^[4]

References: 

[1] 台灣的國民平均餘命陸續延長到 81 歲，但平均餘命裡面，卻有長達 10% 的歲月是不健康的。因此，我希望結合社會的力量，讓國人健康、讓國家健康、讓世界擁抱台灣。 

[2] 一、通過原則性的「健康憲章」，國家未來所提出的建設或政策，都應以促進國人的健康為最高原則。 二、優化醫學教育、支持基礎研究、重視臨床服務、鼓勵與國際社會交流，並加強台灣醫療團隊與不同領域的合作，促進跨領域整合。 三、持續改善醫療人員的工作條件，讓更多的醫療人員能夠投入醫事領域，並針對各個醫療領域的醫事人員提升工作待遇。就護理人員而言，應增加護理系所的招生名額、並將三班護病比入法，共同改善醫療人員的工作環境。 四、積極導入健康促進以及疾病預防，確保我國健保的永續經營。同時利用多元的財務管道，確保健保能夠持續發展外，也要持續推動分級醫療、精進雲端醫療資訊、加強審查與查核機制。 五、全面優化兒少醫療照護，降低嬰幼兒死亡率的同時促進兒少的健康，並佈建核心醫院、重點醫院、基層院所三層級的「兒少醫療照護網」，保障重症兒少與罕病兒少的醫療權益。 六、擴大「年輕族群心理健康支持方案」，鼓勵有需要的人善用心理諮詢資源，同時在社區方面發展「社區心理衛生服務」，支持精神障礙者及其家庭。 七、加強對於癌症的防治，擴大癌症篩檢服務，並根據病人的情況推動先進醫療，此外，也成立「百億的癌症新藥基金」，希望在2030年時，台灣癌症的死亡率能減少三分之一。 八、強化原住民族健康服務，並依《原住民族健康法》寬列健康預算，提升原住民族地區的醫療資源與專業能力。 九、擴大「智慧醫療」結合「健康照護」，並推動生醫產業成為下一個兆元產業。台灣有世界領先的ICT產業，未來持續結合醫療、生醫、ICT的力量，在提升國人健康的同時，強化健康產業的發展，讓世界擁抱台灣。

[3] 一、「強化重度失能者，優化住宿式服務機構」： 
我們要在質跟量，強化住宅的服務，新增居家或社區的晚間到宅照顧，同時增加住宿式服務機構的量能，並擴大「住宿式服務機構使用者補助方案」。 
Speaking of his long-term care policy, Lai said he would gradually raise the cap of subsidies for people who suffer disabling chronic diseases or dementia and need around-the-clock services at the long-term care facility from the current NT$120,000 to NT$180,000 each year. 

[4] 二、「照顧不離職、照顧有喘息」：我們會幫助家庭的照顧者，讓照顧者有喘息的機會。具體作法如鼓勵企業落實彈性工作安排、強化提供家庭照顧者「喘息服務」、擴大試辦「全責照護制度」，並同時改善巴氏量表，滿足多元照顧服務需求。  三、「提高長照服務涵蓋率，加強照顧服務功能」：持續精進社區長照據點的照護功能，並擴大基層關懷據點服務量能，推動照顧科技創新。  四、「打造居家、社區、機構、醫療、社福的一體式服務」：我們會建立以長照社區整體照顧體系為基礎的共生社區，並補助醫院銜接長照所需的人力負擔，同時落實居家醫療與長照接軌，推動高齡者家庭醫師制度，並優化居住無障礙空間，讓長輩出入更安全。 

Lai Ching-te has announced three policies targeting social housing, property management and rental subsidies. He’s also proposed increasing the tax rate for non-owner-occupied housing and providing additional home loan interest subsidies to ease the financial burden for young and first-time homebuyers. 

Lai Ching-te says he would push for more investment protection agreements with like-minded countries. He wants to establish industrial parks in the Indo-Pacific, and set up overseas entrepreneurship centers in places like Japan, the U.S. and the U.K. Lai aims to make Taiwan a ‘smart island’, which includes strengthening the country’s semiconductor strategy, promoting the AI industry, creating 20,000 startup jobs in 5 years and getting NT$150 billion (US$4.8 billion) in annual startup investments.