TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) 鈥 Taiwan鈥檚 new president, Lai Ching-te, said in his inauguration speech Monday that he wants peace with China and urged it to stop its military threats and intimidation of the self-governed island that Beijing claims as its own territory.
鈥淚 hope that China will face the reality of (Taiwan)鈥檚 existence, respect the choices of the people of Taiwan, and in good faith, choose dialogue over confrontation,鈥 Lai said after being sworn into office.
Lai pledged to 鈥渘either yield nor provoke鈥 Beijing and said he sought peace in relations with China. But he emphasized the island democracy is determined to defend itself 鈥渋n the face of the many threats and attempts at infiltration from China.鈥
Lai鈥檚 party, the Democratic Progressive Party, doesn鈥檛 seek independence from China but maintains that Taiwan is already a sovereign nation.
The Chinese office in charge of Taiwan affairs criticized Lai鈥檚 inauguration speech as promoting 鈥渢he fallacy of separatism,鈥 inciting confrontation and relying on foreign forces to seek independence.
鈥淲e will never tolerate or condone any form of 鈥楾aiwan independence鈥 separatist activities,鈥 said Chen Binhua, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of China鈥檚 State Council.
鈥淣o matter how the situation on the island changes, no matter who is in power, it cannot change the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China ... and cannot stop the historical trend of the motherland鈥檚 eventual reunification,鈥 Chen said.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Monday also announced .
Lai, 64, takes over from Tsai Ing-wen, who led Taiwan through eight years of economic and social development despite the COVID-19 pandemic and China鈥檚 escalating military threats. Beijing views Taiwan as a renegade province and has been upping its threats to annex it by force if necessary.
Lai is seen as inheriting Tsai's progressive policies, including universal health care, backing for higher education and support for minority groups, including making Taiwan the first place in Asia to recognize same-sex marriages.
In his inauguration speech, Lai pledged to bolster Taiwan鈥檚 social safety net and help the island advance in fields such as artificial intelligence and green energy.
Lai, who was vice president during Tsai鈥檚 second term, came across as more of a firebrand earlier in his career. In 2017, he described himself as a 鈥減ragmatic worker for Taiwan鈥檚 independence,鈥 drawing Beijing鈥檚 rebuke. He has since softened his stance and now and the possibility of talks with Beijing.
Thousands of people gathered in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei for the inauguration ceremony. Donning white celebratory hats, they watched the swearing-in on large screens, followed by a military march and colorful performances featuring folk dancers, opera performers and rappers. Military helicopters flew in formation, carrying Taiwan's flag.
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.
Lai, also known by his English name William, has vowed to continue his predecessor鈥檚 push to maintain stability with China while beefing up Taiwan鈥檚 security through imports of military equipment from close partner the U.S., the expansion of the defense industry with the manufacture of submarines and aircraft, and the reinforcing of regional partnerships with such as the U.S., Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken congratulated Lai on his inauguration. 鈥淲e look forward to working with President Lai and across Taiwan鈥檚 political spectrum to advance our shared interests and values, deepen our longstanding unofficial relationship, and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,鈥 Blinken said in a statement from his office.
The U.S. doesn鈥檛 formally recognize Taiwan as a country but .
Japan鈥檚 government spokesperson, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said it continues to expect a peaceful settlement of the Taiwan issue through dialogue.
鈥淭he peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait is important not only for the security of Japan but the stability of all of the international community,鈥 Hayashi said Monday.
Lai鈥檚 relatively conciliatory tone will come across as reassuring to foreign governments that may have been concerned about his past reputation as a firebrand, said Danny Russell, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute.
鈥淭here is virtually nothing that Lai could have said, short of 鈥榰nconditional surrender,鈥 that would satisfy Beijing,鈥 he said.
Although Lai signaled he would maintain the overall direction of Tsai's policy regarding Beijing, he struck a more sovereignty-affirming tone in his speech, said Amanda Hsiao, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group.
鈥淭his likely fits within Beijing's low expectations of Lai, so it won't necessarily change their response,鈥 Hsiao said. 鈥淐hina was always going to respond negatively to Lai.鈥
During her tenure, Tsai and . She also kickstarted a military modernization drive.
Tsai鈥檚 leadership during the pandemic split public opinion, with most admiring Taiwan鈥檚 initial ability to keep the virus largely outside its borders but .
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Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.
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