China threats, popular hopes pile pressure on Taiwan's Tsai

Taipei

WHEN Tsai Ing-wen takes office as Taiwan's president on Friday, she steps onto a tightrope between voter dreams of national pride and a Beijing that wants the island on a short leash.

Ms Tsai's election victory reflected public desire for a president who would put self-ruling Taiwan first, not "sell out" to China, which still sees the island as part of its territory. Her political message revolves around the importance of Taiwanese identity, and has resonated with voters fed up with living in Beijing's shadow.