Lai Ching-te sworn in as Taiwan president as tensions with China on knife edge

Lai Ching-te took office as Taiwan’s new president on Monday morning. He took over from Tsai Ing-wen after serving as her vice-president for the past four years. Lai was sworn in at the presidential office, built during the Japanese colonial era, in central Taipei. According to a Reuters report, Lai's challenges in office will include an angry and deeply suspicious China that sees him as a "separatist".

However, Lai expressed goodwill towards China in his inauguration speech, and called for both sides of the Taiwan Strait to pursue peace, the report said.

China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province even as the latter proclaims sovereignty.

In his address, Lai mentioned “democracy” 31 times, a report in The Guardian noted, seeking to highlight the contrast between Taiwan and China.