20240522 CUC Lai and Xi

Lai Ching-te begins his presidency of Taiwan with little room to maneuver, pinned in by Xi Jinping and the Kuomintang, Taiwan's largest opposition party. (Source photos by AP and Yusuke Hinata)

Analysis: Xi Jinping weighs options as Taiwan inaugurates a new president

China can consider a blockade or hope the opposition KMT undermines Lai Ching-te

Katsuji Nakazawa is a Tokyo-based senior staff and editorial writer at Nikkei. He spent seven years in China as a correspondent and later as China bureau chief. He was the 2014 recipient of the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist prize.

TAIPEI -- After being sworn into office, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te in his inauguration speech on Monday pledged never to "yield to or provoke" China and to "maintain the status quo."

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