China warns Taiwan of reprisals over inaugural speech by Lai

Beijing condemns new president’s speech as a statement of the island’s independence

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BEIJING China on May 21 slammed the inauguration speech of new Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te as a "confession of Taiwan independence", and warned it would take "countermeasures".

Earlier, Beijing said it had complained to the US over Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulating Taiwan on Mr Lai's swearing-in.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control.

It has branded Mr Lai, who was sworn in on May 20, as a "dangerous separatist".

In his speech on May 20, Mr Lai said a "glorious era of Taiwan's democracy has arrived" and thanked citizens for "refusing to be swayed by external forces, for resolutely defending democracy".

"Yesterday's speech... can be described as a downright 'confession of Taiwan independence," a statement from Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) released on late May 21 read.