Thousands of people thronged the streets around Taiwan's parliament on Tuesday, protesting against measures that would give lawmakers more oversight over the government and that opposition parties are pushing for, over the ruling party's objections.

The protests outside parliament, and a raucous session inside, demonstrated the febrile political atmosphere facing new President Lai Ching-te a day after his inauguration.

An irate China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, views him as a "separatist", while in the fractured legislature, his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has lost its majority.