New president's speech suggests more hardline Taiwan approach to China

When Lai Ching-te made his inaugural speech outside the presidential palace in Taipei on Monday, he was addressing a number of audiences. There was the crowd in the square in front of him, mostly supporters of his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP); the broader Taiwanese public, 60 per cent of whom did not vote for him; and the international community. But perhaps his most attentive listeners were in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Beijing, where they studied every word and phrase through the narrowest lens. The Taiwan Affairs Office accused Lai of inciting confrontation and some Chinese media complained about…