Former rights lawyer eyes Taiwan presidency

By Ben Blanchard

TAIPEI (Reuters) - From rights lawyer to mayor of Taiwan's second largest city, presidential candidate Frank Hsieh hopes to consolidate his Democratic Progressive Party's hold on power following its first president, Chen Shui-bian.

But unlike Chen, whose pro-Taiwan independence views have angered China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own and occasionally threatens to take it by force, Hsieh has promised to talk with Beijing and relax China-Taiwan investment rules.

Hsieh's relatively low-key manner contrasts sharply with that of Chen, whose frankness about his political ambitions irk even traditional allies such as the United States.

In his campaign for the March 22 election, Hsieh has suggested lowering a controversial limit on how much money Taiwan firms can invest in China and proposed letting Chinese business people invest more in Taiwan.

And he has put more emphasis on Taiwan's growing economic problems than Chen did in previous campaigns, though in recent days he has turned his attention to attacking China following the violence in Tibet.

Hsieh, 61, also comes across as far more combative than his opponent from the Nationalists, Ma Ying-jeou, a telegenic and fluent English-speaking former Taipei mayor who is considered more moderate towards China.

"In contrast to Ma, Hsieh has a reputation for using tough tactics, having worked his way up the ranks as an attorney. He is known for his ability to latch onto his rivals' vulnerabilities and then exploit them relentlessly," said Shane Lee, a professor at Taiwan's Chang Jung University.

KAOHSIUNG MAYOR