Tsai Makes History in Taiwan as First Woman President
Taiwan President-elect Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took the oath of office today, making her the island’s first woman president.
Tsai’s victory in the January poll made her also only the second Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairwoman since Taiwan’s first democratic presidential election in 1996.
Her first day of office as Taiwan’s president began after the swearing-in ceremony that started at 9 a.m. at the Presidential Office in Taipei. The inaugural ceremony was followed by a 30-minute speech delivered by Tsai at around 11 a.m. outside the building.
Taiwan-China Relations
Many speculated that Tsai’s victory in the presidential poll and DPP’s winning a majority of seats in the legislature for the first time in the party’s history, has worried China. The communist country has claimed Taiwan as part of its territory and is on a mission to bring the small island under its control, by force if necessary.
But China may think otherwise for its determination to rule over the island as DPP is known to be skeptical of closer ties with the communist country. In fact, the DPP, founded in 1986, has made a firm stand for promoting human rights advocacy, economic liberalism and a distinct Taiwanese identity. In addition, the new woman president also promises to safeguard Taiwan’s independence from China.
While the Taiwanese people want peace and stability with China, they clearly do not want to be controlled by China.
Meet the Powerful Woman in Taiwan
Tsai, 59, is unmarried. The Chinese leader is an avid cat lover and advocate for gay rights.
Tsai has two cats. One is a female cat named Shiang Shiang (meaning “think think” in Chinese) and the other is Ah Tsai (meaning “talent”). President Tsai adopted the homeless cat Shiang Shiang in 2012. Ah Tsai, a male farm cat, was a gift from a friend during her presidential campaign.
