Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te takes office amid tense relations with China | Wilnesh News

Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te was sworn in on Monday, amid rising tensions with China.

Lai’s victory in January’s election replaced predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, giving the Democratic Progressive Party an unprecedented third presidential term.

Along with Jimmy Lai, Hsiao Meiqin, the 52-year-old former Taiwan de facto ambassador to the United States, was also sworn in as vice president.

Lai is widely expected to reiterate the current status of cross-strait relations.

He had earlier pledged to support Tsai Ing-wen’s foreign and defense policies, strengthen Taiwan’s relations with the United States and its allies, and improve defense capabilities.

Beijing considers democratically governed Taiwan to be its own territory, while Chinese President Xi Jinping believes in unification with the mainland.”historical necessity”.

China has repeatedly condemned Lai as “Stubborn Taiwanese independence worker” and a dangerous separatist. In recent weeks, Beijing has stepped up military incursions around the island of Taiwan ahead of Jimmy Lai’s inauguration. Reuters reports.

This is a thorny issue in Beijing’s complex relationship with the United States. Does not support Taiwan independence but has called for Cross-Strait differences need to be resolved peacefully“In a way that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait can accept.”

Xi Jinping told U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ summit in November that Taiwan has always been “most important and sensitive“Problems” in Sino-US relations.

Although Jimmy Lai won the presidency in January, the DPP lost its majority in the Legislative Yuan and has only a narrow mandate.

Beijing’s preferred political partner, the Kuomintang, has more seats than the DPP, but not enough to hold a majority on its own.