New Taiwan president takes office

Lai Ching-te took office as Taiwan’s new president on Monday, facing an angry and deeply suspicious China that believes he is a “separatist”, and a fractious parliament with an opposition champing at the bit to challenge him.
Lai was sworn in at the Japanese-colonial-era presidential office in central Taipei, taking over from Tsai Ing-wen, having served as her vice president for the past four years.
Lai will express goodwill towards China in his inauguration speech on Monday morning, and call for both sides of the Taiwan Strait to pursue peace, according to a senior official briefed on the matter.
Beijing views proudly democratic Taiwan as its own territory, and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Lai has offered talks, which have been rebuffed, and says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.