The Taiwanese president, Lai Ching-te, has begun a two-day US stopover in Hawaii as a part of a Pacific tour after declaring his democratically ruled island a key pressure for selling international peace and stability.
The journey has sparked fury from China, which views Taiwan as its personal territory and opposes any overseas interactions or visits by the island’s leaders. China’s overseas ministry mentioned on Sunday it had lodged “severe protests” with the US.
China has been stepping up army strain in opposition to Taiwan, together with two rounds of struggle video games this yr, and safety sources have informed Reuters that Beijing could maintain extra army workout routines to coincide with Lai’s tour, which additionally features a stopover in Guam, a US territory.
It’s Lai’s first overseas journey since taking workplace in Might. After Hawaii, he’ll go to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, three of the 12 nations that retain formal diplomatic ties with Taipei and part of the world the place China has been exerting stronger affect.
Talking to reporters earlier than his departure, Lai mentioned: “Thanks to the US authorities for upholding the rules of security, dignity, consolation and comfort for serving to the sleek strategy of this journey.”
Hawaii’s governor, Josh Inexperienced, mentioned in a press release after he, the mayor of Honolulu and the town’s police chief greeted Lai on the tarmac of Honolulu airport on Saturday and that the assembly was a “momentous event”, highlighting Hawaii’s shared values of resilience and collaboration with Taiwan.
Inexperienced later hosted Lai for an emergency administration briefing to debate dealing with pure disasters, he added.
Ingrid Larson, the Washington workplace managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan, the physique that serves because the unofficial US embassy in Taiwan, was additionally on the airport to welcome Lai. Laura Rosenberger, chair of the institute, posted on X that “Ingrid Larson and the good neighborhood of Hawaii are excited to greet you!”
Taiwan’s official Central Information Company mentioned the welcome exceeded these of previous visits.
“President Lai’s transit was the primary time that he was obtained on the airport, and a crimson carpet was rolled and flowers had been offered, which was the very best degree of courtesy ever, totally different from the previous mode of entry into the terminal, and the extent of the reception additionally exceeded earlier norms,” CNA mentioned.
Requested about this, a spokesperson for the US State Division mentioned: “The transit is non-public and unofficial and squarely inside precedent.”
Afterward Saturday, Lai was to go to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbour, which marks the resting place of a few of these killed in the course of the 1941 Japanese assault that introduced the US into the second world struggle, CNA mentioned.
Hawaii and Guam are residence to main US army bases.
China additionally vowed “resolute countermeasures” on Sunday to a just lately accredited US arms sale to Taiwan, saying it had lodged a grievance over the sale, which it mentioned severely infringed on China’s sovereignty.
The US State Division accredited the potential sale – value an estimated $385m – of spare elements and help for F-16 jets and radars to Taiwan, the Pentagon mentioned on Friday, a couple of hours earlier than Lai set off from Taiwan.
The Taiwanese chief’s journey comes because the Republican US president-elect, Donald Trump, prepares to take workplace in January. Taipei publicly congratulated him on his victory. Throughout his marketing campaign, Trump recommended Taiwan ought to pay the US for its defence.
Taiwanese presidents usually make use of what are formally solely stopovers within the US to satisfy pleasant US politicians and provides speeches. Such stopovers are sometimes on visits to far-flung allies within the Pacific, Latin America or the Caribbean.
“This journey is the start of a brand new period of value-based diplomacy,” Lai mentioned. “Democracy, prosperity and peace are the expectations of the folks of Taiwan, and they’re additionally the values that I, as president, should actively promote.”
The US has solely unofficial relations with Taiwan and follows a “one-China” coverage underneath which it recognises Beijing diplomatically, however the US authorities is obliged by regulation to provide the island with the means to defend itself.
Taiwan’s authorities rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says it has a proper to interact with the world and for its leaders to journey overseas.
With Reuters and Agence France-Presse
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