President William Lai (賴清德) is to make a stopover in US territory during his trip to visit Taiwan’s South Pacific allies, sources from the Presidential Office said.
Lai is to make a stopover in Hawaii for two nights and Guam for one night, sources said, adding that Lai is to meet some old friends and attend banquets and closed-door forums organized by think tanks.
The stopover is based on the friendship between the US and Taiwan, they said, adding that the arrangement is routine practice based on principles of safety, dignity and convenience.
Photo: CNA
The officials thanked the US for offering assistance for the transit.
The government announced on Friday last week that Lai is to visit the nation's three diplomatic allies in the South Pacific — the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau — from Saturday to Friday next week.
It is to be Lai's first overseas trip since taking office on May 20.
During his trip, Lai is expected to meet Marshall Islands Nitijela (parliament) Speaker Brenson Wase, Marshallese President Hilda Heine, Tuvaluan Prime Minister Feleti Teo and Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) today urged China not to "overreact" to Lai’s upcoming trip.
Lin said the National Security Council has prepared contingencies in the event of potential Chinese aggression and that the government is in close contact with allies and like-minded countries.
Lin said the government "did not rule out the possibility" that China would launch drills in response to Lai's overseas visit, given that Beijing had always responded "in some way" to overseas trips by previous Taiwanese presidents.
"We call on Beijing not to use the long-standing practice [of Taiwan's presidents traveling overseas] as a pretense to overreact, for example, by holding military exercises that risk destabilizing cross-strait relations," Lin told lawmakers.
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