More than once when William Lai was a small boy, a passing typhoon tore the roof of his home clean away. It’s a recollection that brings a wry smile to Taiwan’s Vice President, who grew up in the small coal-mining hamlet of Wanli perched on the island’s far north.
His father died in an accident in the pits when Lai was just 2 years old, leaving his mother to raise six children alone. Money was tight. Instead of toys, Lai had banyan trees to climb; instead of new clothes, he wore castoffs; he didn’t have privilege, he had to prove himself. Today, Lai, 64, is the front runner in Taiwan’s January
