China considers Taiwan’s new president’s inauguration speech as a “recognition of Taiwan’s independence”

China has called the inaugural speech delivered a day earlier by Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te, a “recognition of Taiwan’s independence” and has threatened him with “retaliation”, according to AFP.

“This speech can be described as a de facto recognition of Taiwan’s independence,” according to a statement from the Chinese Office of Taiwan Affairs released on Tuesday evening, referring to the “retaliation” that will follow.

Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te, was sworn in at the presidential palace in Taipei on Monday alongside Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim in a ceremony broadcast on official video, AFP reports.

Like his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, Lai is from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and is also a supporter of independence from China, but is described as “pragmatic,” AFP notes.

He has moderated his stance, supporting the status quo, but Beijing, which claims Taiwan as a province of China, also considers him a “dangerous separatist.”

The agency notes that relations between Taipei and Beijing have deteriorated during President Tsai’s eight years in office.

Direct dialogue has been interrupted since 2016, and Lai, who has tried to restart it, could be rebuffed by the Chinese side, AFP assesses, based on expert opinion.

In his inauguration speech, which was closely watched to see what position the new president would take, Lai called on China to “cease its political and military intimidation of Taiwan,” to join the de facto independent island in taking responsibility for humanity “to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the entire region,” and to pursue “the world’s freedom from fear of war.”