U.S. stocks rallied to a record close, sounding a high note for an inauguration many feared would be marred by violence – with only late and sporadic protests breaking out. President Joe Biden went straight to the White House to work after being sworn in at a scaled-down ceremony. Read our rolling update:

- [11:00 a.m. HKT] “A long time ago when I was with Xi Jinping … he said, ‘can you define America for me?’ Biden told about 1,000 White House staffers in a video conference during his swearing-in, referencing a 2011 meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Tibet.

“I said, I can do it in one word, one word: possibilities,” Biden said. “We believe anything is possible if we set our mind to it, unlike any other country in the world.”

Ties between Washington and Beijing have frozen in recent years, as Donald Trump waged a trade war with China, imposing tariffs and other barriers in an attempt to reduce the U.S. trade deficit and stop what many in the West have characterized as unfair business practices Chinese state-owned companies.

It is unclear how Biden will handle the situation with Beijing. China has still not reacted to Biden’s inauguration. However, Beijing sanctioned 28 U.S. officials, including former state secretary Mike Pompeo, hours before they stepped down, accusing them of having “severely violated” China’s sovereignty.

- [10:30 a.m. HKT] Biden’s cabinet seeks to bring “truth and transparency back to the briefing room,” said Jen Psaki in her debut as White House press secretary.

“I have deep respect for the role of a free and independent press in our democracy,” she said, marking a stark contrast as Donald Trump used to call liberal media outlets “fake news.” Psaki, 42, served as a spokesperson for the Department of State and held multiple communications roles during Barack Obama’s administration.

Biden’s first call with a foreign leader will be with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday, she said, adding that the president had no plans to speak with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, nor details of overseas trips. She also dismissed rumors that there would be a call between Biden and Trump anytime soon.

“I will expect his early calls will be with partners and allies. He feels it important to rebuild those relationships and to address the challenges and threats we are facing in the world,” she said.

- [9:15 a.m. HKT] A group of black-clad protesters rally against the government, the police and Biden in Portland, Oregon. Calling themselves a “mix of anarchists, antifa and racial-justice protesters,” they smashed windows and graffitied anarchist symbols at the local headquarters of the Democratic Party. Portland has seen frequent protests since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last May.

Meanwhile, a far-right group called “the Proud Boys,” who once billed themselves as Trump’s “staunchest” fans, seem to have changed their attitude after Biden’s inauguration. Members have started calling Trump a “shill,” “extraordinarily weak” on messaging platform Telegram and urging supporters to stop attending rallies for Trump and the Republican Party.

- [7:30 a.m. HKT] U.S. stocks rallied to a record close, sounding a high note for an inauguration many feared would be marred by violence.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 257 points, or 0.83%, closing at an all-time high of 31,188.38. The S&P 500 was up by 1.39%, gaining 52 points to 3,851.85. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite also closed at a record 13,457.25, a gain of 1.97% or 260 points.

- [4:43 a.m. HKT] Joe Biden’s presidential motorcade is making its way to the White House flanked by Secret Service agents. Although there was no repeat today of the rioting of Jan. 6, security remains heightened in Washington.

Once Biden arrives at the White House, he will sign executive orders and swear in presidential appointees.

- [3:44 a.m. HKT] Social media users notice that tackling climate change is listed as one of Biden’s priorities on the whitehouse.gov website, which was updated soon after he took office. This is notable because the Trump administration had scrubbed mentions of climate change from federal websites.

Biden’s Democratic Party colleague, Congressman Jim McGovern, is among those who noticed the change, tweeting that “#Climate is back where it belongs – among the top priorities of the president of the United States. It’s about time.”

Meanwhile, ABC News reports that Biden is attending a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, accompanied by former presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama.

- [2:45 a.m. HKT] Shortly after taking office, Biden takes over the @POTUS Twitter handle. His first tweet as president reads: “There is no time to waste when it comes to tackling the crises we face. That’s why today, I am heading to the Oval Office to get right to work delivering bold action and immediate relief for American families.”

Meanwhile, CNN reports that following his inaugural address, the new president signed three documents at a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, including an inauguration proclamation and nominations to cabinet and sub-cabinet positions.

- [1:42 a.m. HKT] Within minutes of Biden becoming president, the Chinese foreign ministry announces it is slapping sanctions on 28 U.S. officials including outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. China holds the 28 officials responsible for having “gravely interfered in China’s internal affairs, undermined China’s interests, offended the Chinese people, and seriously disrupted China-U.S. relations,” it said.

Other members of the Trump administration named in the sanctions include former national security

adviser Robert C. O’Brien and former presidential adviser Steve Bannon.

The foreign ministry said the 28 individuals and their immediate family members are banned from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. Further, they can no longer conduct business with Chinese entities.

- [1:11 a.m. HKT] In his inaugural address, Biden makes several references to the lingering challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, warning that the toughest period to still be ahead. Biden leads a brief moment of silence for those who have died in the pandemic.

- [12:53 a.m. HKT] As he begins his inaugural address, Biden thanks previous U.S. presidents for attending the ceremony. He also mentions 96-year-old former president Jimmy Carter, who did not attend due to pandemic-related concerns. There was no mention of Trump, who broke with tradition by not attending.

- [12:49 a.m. HKT] Joe Biden takes the oath of office to become president of the United States. The U.S. Constitution states that his term begins officially at 12 p.m. EST (1 a.m. HKT).

- [12:42 a.m. HKT] Kamala Harris takes the oath of office to become the first female vice president of the United States.

- [11:15 p.m. HKT] Inauguration guests arriving at the U.S. Capitol include Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan’s top government representative in the United States. She tweeted that she was “honored to represent the people and government of Taiwan here at the inauguration.”

Hsiao was invited by the official organizing body in charge of inauguration planning, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. This marks the first time that the inaugural committee has invited a representative of the Taiwanese government since the U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979, according to Taiwan’s EBC News.

Although Taiwanese delegations have attended other inauguration ceremonies since 1979, they have done so as the guests of individual members of Congress.

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