TAIPEI, Taiwan — New Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te promised to provide stability for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific during his inaugural address despite China‘s desire to unify the island with the mainland.
“Democracy and freedom are Taiwan’s unwavering commitment,” Lai told a crowd of 20,000 on Monday outside the Presidential Office Building in Taipei, Taiwan, according to a translator. “Peace is the only option. And prosperity gained through lasting peace and stability is our objective.”
During his 30-minute speech, Lai called on China to stop its political and military intimidation of Taiwan, to encourage peace in the Taiwan Strait, and to “ensure that the world is free from the fear of war.”
“I hope that China will face the reality of the Republic of China’s existence, respect the choices of the people of Taiwan, and in good faith, choose dialogue over confrontation, exchange over containment, and under the principles of parity and dignity, engage in cooperation with the legal government chosen by Taiwan’s people,” Lai said. “This can start from the resumption of tourism on a reciprocal basis and enrollment of degree students in Taiwanese institutions.”
“We must not harbor any delusions, so long as China refuses to renounce the use of force against Taiwan, all of us in Taiwan ought to understand that, even if we accept the entirety of China’s position and give up our sovereignty, China’s ambition to annex Taiwan will not simply disappear,” he added.
For Lai, Taiwan must work together to safeguard the country’s future.
“All our political parties ought to oppose annexation and protect sovereignty,” he said. “And no one should entertain the idea of giving up our national sovereignty in exchange for political power.”
Lai’s three-hour inauguration was also a celebration of his predecessor, former President Tsai Ing-wen, the first woman to be elected president of Taiwan. Much of the pageantry surrounding the ceremony, from musical performances to military flyovers, sought to underscore similarities between the pair, such as an introductory video montage of images of them side by side. New Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim even appeared to be overcome with emotion when the trio were welcomed by the audience.
At a pre-inauguration reception, Lai told dignitaries and reporters, including the Washington Examiner, that he hoped to “build upon the solid foundation” created by Tsai, under whom he served as vice president from 2020 to 2024.
“Together, we will continue to work on the path of democracy, and we will continue to engage with the world to make Taiwan stronger,” Lai said through translators on Sunday. “We will continue to defend Taiwan’s democracy. We will continue to make Taiwan’s economy more prosperous and vibrant democracy. In addition, we will also play a key role and become a key force in maintaining stability in the region.”
That is despite a lack of clarity regarding Lai’s defense policy and differences between Tsai’s and his energy policies related to nuclear power. There are also concerns in capitals, such as Washington, with respect to Lai’s foreign policy experience and past missteps. For example, Lai raised eyebrows last July when he said, “When Taiwan’s president can enter the White House, the political goal that we’re pursuing will have been achieved.”
“He already clarified that during the campaign,” Catherine Hsu, director-general of Taiwan’s Department of International Information Services, told the Washington Examiner. “During the campaign, he said he would maintain the status quo and follow President Tsai’s policy with regard to the other side, with regard to China. So basically, maintaining the status quo, meaning that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to each other.”
Raymond Kuo, the director of the RAND Corporation’s Taiwan Policy Initiative, agreed Lai would at least strive for continuity in foreign policy, considering Tsai’s approach to China — a policy of the status quo, including preserving Taiwan’s sovereignty and pursuing a closer relationship with the United States — is “responsible and effective.”
“So much so that all three presidential candidates essentially pledged to follow her lead during the election campaign,” Kuo told the Washington Examiner.
Tsai and Lai’s closeness with the U.S. has caused consternation for China, which had been expected to react diplomatically or militarily to Lai’s inauguration. Lai singled out the U.S. for its support during his inaugural remarks, with the event demonstrating Western influence on Taiwan, from a rap performer who swore to baseball players pitching a ball to one another.
“Just last month, the United States made into law the Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act 2024,” Lai said on Monday. “This will provide the Indo-Pacific region with additional security and assistance, thereby supporting the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.”
While the U.S. was preoccupied with the 2024 Republican presidential primary caucuses in Iowa, Lai won Taiwan’s presidential election in January by 7 percentage points, or 915,000 votes. Lai retained the presidency for Taiwan’s center-left party, the Democratic Progressive Party, over the historically powerful center-right to right-wing party, the Kuomintang, the first time a Taiwanese party won more than two consecutive presidential elections since direct elections were introduced in 1996.
But Lai did not win a majority of the vote nor did the DPP gain outright control of Taiwan’s unicameral legislature in the relatively young democracy. The DPP has 51 seats in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan to the Kuomintang’s 52, with two additional independent legislators caucusing with the latter. The new Taiwan People’s Party, which outperformed expectations because of protest votes against the two majority parties, has eight seats. Han Kuo-yu, the Kuomintang president of the legislature, was jeered by those gathered for Lai’s inauguration.
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As such, National Cheng Kung University political science professor Hung-Jen Wang asserted Lai’s priority will be to respond to Taiwan’s domestic political and economic concerns, such as cost of living pressures and housing shortages.
“Particularly, they will aim to build the greatest possible consensus on the new domestic policies they intend to implement, ensuring that the public feels the government is addressing their needs,” Wang told the Washington Examiner.
