Ma Ying-Jeou has been officially sworn in as Taiwan's new president today replacing the outgoing, and ever unpopular, Chen Shui-Bian. One can only see this as a positive step for Taiwan. Although Chen's independent stance throughout his entire presidency has been admirable, it was deliberately provocative and proved quite dangerous. Added to this has been the never ending corruption allegations which have hounded him for years and led to alarmingly low opinion ratings and voter apathy.
Ma, on the other hand, represents a new direction, a fresh change if you will. He aims at easing tensions between Taiwan and China by opening up dialogue, trade, and transport between the two neighbours. He also seems to have a more international feel about him, unlike Chen. This presents the chance for Taiwan to make its mark on the international stage without actually reunifying with China. Taiwan's democracy is still relatively new and this change of power will surely be a turning point in Taiwanese politics.
Could it be that Taiwan is replacing a troublemaker with a peacemaker?
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