Taiwan's Ma sworn in as president

May 20, 2008

Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou took the oath of office as president Tuesday, two months after sweeping to victory on a pledge to mend fragile relations with China and revitalise the economy. He succeeded Chen Shui-bian, whose pro-independence rhetoric during eight years in power irked not only Beijing, but also the United States for the way it spiked regional tensions. Ma, a Harvard-educated former mayor of Taipei, was expected to reach out to Beijing -- which still claims sovereignty over the island -- in his inaugural address in front of some 15,000 people.

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