Tsai Ing-wen sworn in as first female president of Taiwan

Tsai Ing-wen was sworn in Friday as Taiwan's first female president, four months after leading the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to a landslide victory during elections.

China views Taiwan as a breakaway province, and the DPP leans toward independence. In her inaugural speech, Tsai, 59, said the Taiwanese people are "committed to the defense of our freedom and democracy as a way of life," and called on both Taiwan and China to "set aside the baggage of history, and engage in positive dialogue, for the benefit of the people on both sides." It is only the second time in seven decades that the DPP has won an election, with the Kuomintang (KMT) holding power for a majority of those years.

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