TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan will on Monday inaugurate Lai Ching-te as its new leader, ushering in an unprecedented third consecutive presidential term for the Democratic Progressive Party, which has transformed the island democracy into a bulwark against Chinese aggression and brushed off increasingly ominous threats from Beijing.

Lai — vice president under outgoing leader Tsai Ing-wen, who has reached her two-term limit — has vowed to continue his predecessor’s defense and foreign policy approach of trying to avoid inflaming tensions with China while also standing up for Taiwan’s freedoms and way of life.