Taipei –
Rising from a modest mining town to assume Taiwan’s highest office on Monday, President Lai Ching-te now faces the challenge of navigating a widening rift with an increasingly assertive China while grappling with a divided parliament.
The 64-year-old Harvard graduate became president in January’s elections on a promise to defend Taiwan’s democracy and oppose Beijing’s claims to the island.
In his inaugural address Monday, Lai called on Taiwanese to “come together to protect our nation” against China’s threats to take control of the island.
