Taiwan's incoming president, Lai Ching-te, will have the world's attention when he delivers his inaugural address on Monday.
All ears will be on Lai’s language and framing of his administration as officials in Beijing, Washington, Tokyo and elsewhere scrutinize every word on cross-strait relations, particularly those that could suggest a departure from an already precarious status quo.
Special focus will be on how the 64-year-old, who once described himself as a “pragmatic worker for Taiwanese independence,” refers to the democratic island, how he talks about its autonomy and on which level he will try to navigate relations with Beijing amid a heightened risk of conflict.