Taiwan swears in Tsai Ing-wen as first woman president

Taiwan on Friday swore in its first female President Tsai Ing-wen 59 after she emerge victorious in the presidential poll in January signalling the end of an eight-year rapprochement with China.

Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won parliamentary and presidential elections by a landslide in January.
Almost 700 dignitaries from 59 countries watched Tsai, leader of the Beijing-skeptic Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), took the oath of office at Taipei’s Ching-kuo Hall.
The former law professor who studied in The U.S takes over from outgoing Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) President Ma Ying-jeou, who was ineligible for re-election after two four-year terms.

In her inaugural speech as President, Tsai said; 

 

“At this moment, Taiwan’s situation is very difficult,”. 

“I invite every fellow citizen to carry the future of this country.”

“Taiwan has been a model citizen in global civil society,” Tsai told the 20,000 capacity crowd, “Since our democratization, we have persisted in upholding the universal values of peace, freedom, democracy and human rights.”

 

Public support for outgoing president Ma Ying-jeou plunged as voters felt he moved too close to Beijing, which still sees the island as part of its territory.