China can consider a blockade or hope the opposition KMT undermines Lai Ching-te
Xi is now pinning his hopes for a turnaround in Taiwan politics on 2026 or beyond, people familiar with China-Taiwan relations say. Taiwan’s quadrennial unified local elections will be held at the end of 2026 and will be an important prelude to the democracy’s next presidential election in 2028.
Lai Ching-te has been sworn in as Taiwan’s new president, urging China to “cease their political and military intimidation against Taiwan” and to keep the world free from the fear of more war.
Lai was inaugurated on Monday morning at the Japanese colonial-era presidential office in central Taipei, taking over from Tsai Ing-wen, whose eight years in power saw a deterioration in relations with Beijing.
China claims democratic Taiwan as a province, and has called Lai, 64, a “dangerous separatist” who will bring “war and decline” to the island. The Chinese Communist party has never ruled over Taiwan, but Xi Jinping has declared that what he terms “reunification” is inevitable.
In his first address as president, Lai said the future of Taiwan was as important to the world as it was to Taiwan’s people, noting the island’s strategic importance.
He called on China to “cease their political and military intimidation against Taiwan, share with Taiwan the global responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan strait as well as the greater region, and ensure 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.”
