Taiwan swore in its first female president into office in the capital Taipei on Friday, returning the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to power.
Advertisement
A woman who asked to only be identified by her surname Gao said she feared that the DPP might use the education and culture sectors to promote “implicit Taiwan independence”, which could have an adverse effect on Taiwan’s younger generations.
In her address, Tsai also said she would establish a peace and reconciliation commission to revisit the crimes committed by the former authoritarian Nationalist government and seek justice for its victims.
“Today, tomorrow, and on every day to come, we shall all vow to be a Taiwanese who safeguards democracy, freedom, and this country”, Tsai said.
Online activist Lai Rifu said he wasn’t surprised by the restrictions.
After the 9 a.m. swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Tsai delivered a 30-minute inauguration speech from 11 a.m.to almost 20,000 people gathered outside the building.
Commenting on Tsai’s swearing in, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chun Ying said, “I want emphasis that “One China policy” is widely recognised by the world and one-china principle is important corner stone and prerequisite for China to develop relations with other countries”.
China and Taiwan split in 1949 after the Kuomintang nationalist forces lost a civil war to the Communists, although Taiwan has never declared an official breakaway.
She did not mention the “1992 consensus”, a reference to a meeting held that year when leaders from the two countries made a decision to maintain the “one China” policy without clearly defining parameters.
Carrying on a long tradition of military saber-rattling in the Taiwan Strait, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) staged beach-landing military exercises on the day of Tsai’s inauguration, the Global Times newspaper reported. Yet Tsai has indicated she will maintain the political status quo and refrain from pushing for formal independence while in office.
Noting that the new leader had stated that the 1992 talks between the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits and the Straits Exchange Foundation had reached some common understanding, it warned that the pursuit of Taiwan independence would not be conducive to peace and stability. But obviously, what she said in the speech was not enough for maintaining peaceful development and good interactions between both sides, said Pang.
Some online outlets are quoting a pro-reunification Taiwanese portal Central Daily News saying the island will enter an “economic winter” under Ms Tsai’s leadership.
The controversial “one China” concept is enshrined in a tacit agreement between Beijing and the KMT known as the “1992 consensus”.
However, if Taiwan chooses to protest at this year’s event, things might take a different turn, Bao said.
Taiwan’s economy is also dependent on the mainland.
Taiwan’s 1946 constitution, which still claims mainland China as part of its territory, should form another, she said.
“Tsai Ing-wen’s speech was deleted only a few minutes after it was posted [online in China]”, Zha said.
Wang Chenghua, Xue Renyi, Xu Duo, Yi Xiangcheng, Luo Yaling, and Yang Xiaodong were all taken on a trip to the city’s Nanshan Park area, one of them told RFA.
Taiwan’s new leader Tsai took office on Friday.
“The residents all arrived in Nanshan yesterday and are staying there overnight”.
Advertisement
Tsai’s election success was only the second win ever for the DPP. China staunchly opposes Taiwanese independence.
