Tsai Ing-wen Inaugurated, Again Rejects Two Systems

Tsai Ing-wen reiterated on Wednesday that Taipei will not accept Beijing's offer of a Hong Kong-style "one country, two systems" arrangement, as she was inaugurated for a second term as Taiwanese president.

"Here, I want to reiterate the words 'peace, parity, democracy, and dialogue'. We will not accept the Beijing authorities' use of 'one country, two systems' to downgrade Taiwan and undermine the cross-strait status quo. We stand fast by this principle," she said in a speech.

Tsai said relations across the Taiwan Strait have reached a "historical turning point" but she aims to maintain the peaceful status quo.

She added that both sides need to find a way to co-exist over the long-term and prevent antagonism.

The president said she will bolster ties with the United States, Japan and "other like-minded countries".

She said the coronavirus pandemic has changed the global political and economic order and created opportunities as well as challenges for Taiwan, adding that she will continue to fight for the island's participation in international organisations.

Tsai won her second term in a landslide victory in January, with Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests and a hardline stance from Xi Jinping solidifying public opinion against Beijing.