Tsai Ing-wen was sworn in Friday as the president of Taiwan, becoming the island’s first female leader.
Her early days in office will be closely watched around the region for signs of her approach to relations with China. Taiwan’s powerful neighbor claims it as part of its territory, and has threatened to use force to prevent Taiwan from taking steps toward formal independence.
In the January election, Ms. Tsai easily defeated her closest challenger in a campaign that featured deep concern over the economy. Taiwan has now had three quarters of economic contraction and exports have declined for 15 months in a row.
