Lai Ching-te, from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in power in Taiwan, has taken the oath and been inaugurated as president today. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan, more than 500 foreign guests including leaders of eight countries with diplomatic relations with Taiwan attended the inauguration ceremony. In his inauguration speech, the president urged China to end political and military intimidations.
“Peace is the only option,” he stated, urging Beijing to share with Taiwan the responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the entire region, and to “ensure that the world is free from the fear of war”.
Lai, 64 years old, the son of a coal miner and a trained doctor, succeeds Tsai Ing-wen, 67 years old, whose eight-year term aimed to maintain the status quo between Taiwan and China and increase Taiwan’s international visibility. Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, 52 years old, also officially took the oath. She was Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the United States from 2020 to 2023.
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