Lai Ching-te inaugurated as Taiwan’s president in a transition likely to bolster island’s US ties

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan has inaugurated Lai Ching-te as its new president. It took place in a ceremony Monday after he won an election earlier this year. He is a relative moderate who will continue the self-governing island democracy’s policy of de facto independence while seeking to bolster its defenses against China. Lai accepted congratulations from fellow politicians and delegations from the 12 nations that maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, as well as politicians from the U.S., Japan and various European states. He takes over from Tsai Ing-wen, who led Taiwan through eight years of economic and social development despite the COVID-19 pandemic and China’s escalating military threats.