Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te plans to stop in Hawaii and possibly Guam during a visit to Taipei's diplomatic allies in the Pacific in the coming weeks, sources told Reuters, a sensitive trip that comes shortly after the American election.
Mr. Lai, who was elected in January, has yet to travel abroad since taking office in May. China, which considers democratically governed Taiwan its own territory, hates Lai as a “separatist” and systematically opposes any interaction between Taiwan's government and foreign representatives.
Six sources briefed on the visit, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, told Reuters that Mr. Lai was planning a stopover in Hawaii as part of an overseas trip which would begin in the coming weeks.
A stopover in the U.S. territory of Guam is also being considered, four of the sources said. Both Hawaii and Guam are home to major U.S. military bases.
Two of the sources said the stops would be part of Lai's visit to Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the Pacific.
The Pacific countries of the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau are three of the twelve states that still maintain official ties with Taipei. Reuters was unable to determine precisely which countries Lai would visit and the dates of those visits.
Taiwan's presidential office said Mr. Lai “currently has no planned overseas trips,” but if he does, the government will announce it at the appropriate time.
The United States is Taiwan's main financier and arms supplier, despite lacking official diplomatic recognition.
“We refer travel plans for senior Taiwan officials to Taiwan authorities. We have nothing to add on this matter,” a State Department spokesperson said.
CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES
Mr. Lai's trip will come at the end of the administration of President Joe Biden, who has said U.S. forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
President-elect Donald Trump, whose first administration strongly supported Taiwan, troubled Taipei during his election campaign by saying the island would have to pay to be protected. He has since appointed Marco Rubio, a pro-Taiwanese, as secretary of state.
The offices of the presidents of Palau and the Marshall Islands and the government of Tuvalu did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Taiwanese presidents typically take advantage of what is officially just a stopover in the United States to meet with friendly American political figures and deliver speeches. These stops usually take place during visits to distant allies in the Pacific, Latin America or the Caribbean.
A person familiar with the U.S. stop said they expected Mr. Lai's visit to be more low-key than usual and that logistics were still being worked out.
Visits to Pacific island countries are also important, as China gradually reduces the number of countries that maintain ties with Taiwan. In January, the small island of Nauru reconnected with Beijing.
China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan over the past five years, including holding a new round of war games in May, shortly after Mr. Lai's inauguration, as a warning against “separatist acts “
Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and says it has the right to establish relations with other countries and that its leaders have the right to travel abroad.
In August last year, China held a day of military exercises around Taiwan after then-Vice President Mr Lai returned from the United States, where he did not officially only stopovers, but gave speeches on the way to and from Paraguay.
In April last year, China also staged war games around Taiwan to protest a trip to the United States by then-President Tsai Ing-wen, who met with then-President Kevin McCarthy of the United States House of Representatives, Los Angeles.
In 2017 and 2019, Ms. Tsai stopped in Hawaii during her visits to Pacific allies.
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