Taiwan's Vice President William Lai. AP
Taiwan’s Vice President, William Lai, is embarking on a trip to the United States on Saturday, a move that China has strongly criticised. This trip has raised concerns among Taiwanese officials who worry it might lead to increased Chinese military maneuvers in the region surrounding the democratically governed island.
Lai, a leading contender in the upcoming January elections for Taiwan’s presidency, is officially scheduled for transit layovers in the United States, while en route to and from Paraguay, where he will attend the presidential inauguration.
While both Taipei and Washington assert that these layovers are routine and not intended to incite China, Beijing’s reaction has been one of displeasure, interpreting them as yet another indication of US backing for Taiwan. China regards Taiwan as its sovereign territory and finds such gestures provocative.
China is likely to launch military drills next week near Taiwan, using Lai’s stopovers in the United States as a pretext to intimidate voters ahead of a next year’s election and make them “fear war”, Taiwanese officials said.
Beijing particularly dislikes Lai, who has in the past described himself as a “practical worker for Taiwan independence”. Lai has, however, repeatedly said during the election campaign he does not seek to change the status quo.
Lai, who goes first to New York, published a short video on his social media accounts late on Friday about his trip, mentioning only the Paraguay part, the country being one of just 13 to maintain formal ties with Taipei, reported Reuters.
He showed off what he will be taking with him, including the gift of a Garmin solar-powered GPS bike computer for Paraguay’s new president, Santiago Pena, as well as neck cushions and baggage tags emblazoned with words including “Team Taiwan” in English and “Taiwan, your backer” in Chinese.
“I hope, by serving as President Tsai Ing-wen’s special envoy to Paraguay to participate in the inauguration ceremony of the new president, to convey the blessings of the people of Taiwan,” he said.
Neither Taiwan nor the United States have given exact details about his US schedule.
The US State Department told Reuters that, consistent with past transits, Lai would meet the chair of the Virginia-based American Institute in Taiwan, a U.S. government-run non-profit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan.
Lai, scheduled to speak to reporters at Taiwan’s main international airport on Saturday afternoon before leaving, is to return from Paraguay via San Francisco.
The Paraguay leg of the trip is also important given China’s increasing efforts to take Taiwan’s remaining allies.
Honduras, once a stalwart Taiwanese partner, switched relations to China in March. Lai went to Honduras last year for the inauguration of its president and had a brief though symbolic chat while there with US Vice President Kamala Harris.
With inputs from agencies
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