Taiwan's newly sworn President Lai Ching-te, in a stern warning for China, has called on Beijing to stop intimidating the island nation, over which China continues to make its claim.
The newly-elected president of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was sworn in as the fifth popularly elected president of Taiwan on Monday, reported Focus Taiwan.
Lai will take the oath of office at the presidential office on Monday morning before delivering an inaugural address outside the building later in the day.
Taiwan's Ambassador to Guatemala, Miguel Liao, said on Saturday that Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo assured Taiwan of his steadfast support amid China's allegations about dollar diplomacy, Taiwan News reported.
This move escalates tensions with major trading partners, following a series of anti-subsidy and anti-dumping investigations into Chinese products by the European Union, including one initiated recently, and impending tariffs from Washington on Chinese new energy products.
As Taiwan's new President-elect, Lai Ching-te's swearing in ceremony draws near, the island's coastguard has ramped up patrols over the weekend amid increasing presence of Chinese vessels, according to Al Jazeera.
The Taiwanese authorities have identified these measures as a threat to national security. As an outlying territory so close to China, Beijing hopes that economic links can be used to coerce the local government and population of the county to willingly accept Chinese administration.
Taiwan's foreign ministry's statement came after a Chinese foreign ministry alleged that Taiwan had maintained political support from Guatemala by paying off its lawmakers, according to Taiwan News report.
China said the "military collusion" between the US and Taiwan as well as the "separatist acts" of the "Taiwan independence forces", are the main sources of disruption to the current stability in the Taiwan Straits.
Tensions peaked in the morning when TPP caucus whip Huang Kuo-chang engaged in a heated confrontation with DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming and DPP lawmaker Kuo Kuo-wen, accusing them of queue-jumping. Tempers flared as Kuo allegedly pushed Huang's face away in response to the accusations, pro