Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen marked the second anniversary of her inauguration yesterday by taking questions from the public in an online livestream session. 
Rather than giving a speech, as is customary for the president on the anniversary of their inauguration, Tsai said in a Facebook post that she would take part in the livestream in a bid to interact with people directly.
The 30-minute livestream session was hosted by Watchout, an independent online platform that monitors the government. Tsai, who touts transparency, has worked with the organisation in the past to share information about Taiwan, according to the state-run Central News Agency. 
The livestream session was simultaneously available through other social media platforms, such as Facebook, YouTube and Line. 
Tsai said that models of communication today have been shaped by the appearance of social media and mobile devices. 
The site received hundreds of questions from members of the public, some of which were answered by Tsai in the livestream session.
Topics included industrial innovation, young people, defence, relations with China, human rights, judicial reform, foreign policy, tax reforms, the environment and energy, among others. 
During the livestream session, Tsai chatted with the host in a casual tone and responded to some of the questions. She gave answers to serious issues, such as national security and Chinese espionage activities in Taiwan, to bizarre ones, such as why she preferred to wear formal trousers more than skirts.
Responding to a hypothetical question asking if she would shake hands with her political rivals, such as Chinese President Xi Jinping or former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou, Tsai said she would out of politeness. 
Many viewers criticised the Q&A session, saying the atmosphere was too friendly. Some questioned why Tsai avoided fronting press conferences and taking serious questions from professional journalists.