Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te will capture the world’s attention when he delivers his inaugural address on Monday.
All ears will be on Lai’s language and his administration’s formulation, as officials in Beijing, Washington, Tokyo and elsewhere scrutinize every word about cross-Strait relations, especially those that might indicate a departure from a already precarious status quo.
Special attention will be paid to how the 64-year-old, who once described himself as a “pragmatic worker for Taiwanese independence”, refers to the democratic island, how he talks about its autonomy and at what level he will try to relations with the Taiwanese. Beijing amid increased risk of conflict.
