Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te was welcomed on Saturday with a red carpet and flower necklaces in the American archipelago of Hawaii, the first stop on a tour of several Pacific territories which sparked protests from Beijing.
Greeted by “alohas,” the leader appeared casual, in a Hawaiian shirt, to visit the Bishop Museum of Natural and Cultural History, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and the USS Arizona Memorial dedicated to the American sailors killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
When he got off the plane early Saturday morning, a red carpet awaited him, for his first trip abroad since taking office in May.
Such treatment is a first for a Taiwanese leader, the president's office said in a statement.
He was welcomed by Hawaii Governor Josh Green and Ingrid Larson, the Washington director of the American representation in Taipei (American Institute in Taiwan).
In the evening, Mr. Lai is scheduled to attend a dinner with U.S. government officials and overseas Taiwanese.
– Chinese protests –
Opposed to any initiative giving the Taiwanese authorities international legitimacy, Beijing, standing against any official contact between Taiwan and other countries, has expressed its protests.
“China strongly condemns the organization by the United States of the Lai Ching-te 'transit' and has sent solemn protests to the United States,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“China will closely monitor the development of the situation and take resolute and effective measures to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he stressed.
Beijing considers that Taiwan is one of its provinces, which it has not yet succeeded in reunifying with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese civil war (1949). He does not exclude the use of force to achieve this.
China has repeatedly called Lai Ching-te a “separatist” and increased military pressure around the island in recent years with numerous maneuvers.
– F-16 Escort –
In a speech before takeoff, Mr. Lai said his tour marked the beginning of “a new democratic era” and thanked the U.S. government for “facilitating this journey.”
He said he wanted to “continue to expand cooperation and deepen partnerships with our allies based on the values of democracy, peace and prosperity.”
The Taiwanese president is scheduled to spend two days in Hawaii and is also expected to spend a night in Guam, in the United States, during his trip. His tour will take him to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, the only nations in the region among the 12 remaining allies to recognize Taiwan.
Taiwan deployed four F-16 fighter jets to escort the plane carrying the Taiwanese president and his delegation.
During the flight, Mr. Lai estimated that his tour must “allow Taiwan to join the international scene, with seriousness and confidence”, according to an AFP journalist accompanying the president.
– “Partnership” with the United States –
Taiwanese officials have already stopped on American soil during trips to the Pacific or Latin America.
Lai Ching-te's predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, passed through these same American territories in 2017.
In 2023, she met Kevin McCarthy, then President of the United States House of Representatives, in California. Beijing then responded with major military exercises around Taiwan.
China “always wants to give the impression that Taiwan is isolated and dependent” on it, said Bonnie Glaser, an analyst at the German Marshall Fund think tank, to AFP.
Washington has recognized Beijing to the detriment of Taipei since 1979 but remains in fact Taiwan's most powerful ally and its main arms supplier.
The United States also announced on Friday that it had approved the potential sale of spare parts for F-16 fighter jets and radar systems to Taiwan.
In response, China urged the United States “to immediately stop arming Taiwan” and “to encourage and condone the forces that seek Taiwan's independence and want to strengthen their military to achieve this,” it said. the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Taiwanese leader's trip comes as Donald Trump is due to arrive at the White House in January. Taipei congratulated Mr Trump on his victory, but uncertainties remain over its future policy towards the island.
During his campaign, Mr. Trump suggested that Taiwan pay the United States for its defense.
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