The president of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, plans a weeklong tour across the Pacific, which includes a stop in Hawaii, which is sure to enrage Beijing’s fury.
The Chinese government recognizes self-governing Taiwan as the legal part of China and will not allow any country or international organization to recognize Taiwan as a separate state.
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On his first overseas trip since May when he assumed the presidency, Lai will also ramp up a visit to Hawaii and Guam, both US territories since he is going to visit the Micronesian island states – Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau, that Taiwan claims as partners.
They are the only ones among the Twelve remaining Allies in the Pacific island that endorse Taiwan for statehood after China enticed the other with grants and funds.
The implemented trip that is being conducted by the United States has led to more tension from China promising to quash any attempt towards Taiwan sovereignty.
China and Taiwan have been two entities since 1949 after Chiang Kai-shek’s nationalists lost battles to Mao Zedong’s communists and fled to Taiwan.
Taiwan matters
Taiwan is on the brink of being invaded by China which has stated publicly it will not hesitate to use force to have Taiwan under its control.
Biweekly, Beijing sends and conducts fighter jets, UAVs, and warships around Taiwan to assert its sovereignty, and difficult in recent years.
Taiwanese government officials in the past stayed in US territory during the visit to the Pacific or Latin America much to the ire of China that at times has conducted naval exercises around Taiwan.
For Lai, the tour was a chance to tell those countries and the rest of the world that Taiwan is important said Bonnie Glaser, a Taiwan-China affairs scholar at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
‘I believe that the People’s Republic of China always tries to convey Taiwan is surrounded and this nation is dependent on the PRC,’ added Glaser using the abbreviation of China officially.
“When Taiwan’s president travels outside Taiwan, it is a reminder that there are countries in the world that matter their diplomatic diplomacy with Taiwan,” she said.
“And of course, when he transits the United States, it’s a reminder, I think to the Taiwan public that the United States and Taiwan have a friendly relationship.”
The principal supporter of Taiwan and its largest source of arms, the United States does not maintain diplomatic relations with Taipei.
Lai’s visit comes as the United States green-lighted the possible sale of service parts for F-16 fighters and radar systems, as well as other communications equipment for the island for $385m in total.
Earlier this month, Taiwan’s foreign minister Lin Chia-lung sat down with European Parliamentarians or Members of the European Parliament in Brussels.
This was partly a growing pattern of higher-level Taiwanese officials going abroad, and countries openly hosting them at the peril of retribution from China, Glaser explained to AFP.
‘I believe that is the case because many countries engage in an activity, hence, it will prompt the other countries to engage in the same activity,’ said Glaser.
‘There is also higher recognition of how negatively and assertively China has acted, and so countries are ready, to some extent, to challenge China because they do not like China,’ she said.
“And there is recognition of Taiwan’s place in the world, particularly as a producer of semiconductor chips.”
FAQs
Who is Lai Ching-te?
Lai Ching-te, also known as William Lai, is Taiwan’s Vice President and a key figure in the Democratic Progressive Party, often representing Taiwan in diplomatic efforts.
What is the purpose of the Pacific island tour?
The tour aims to strengthen diplomatic ties with Taiwan’s allies in the Pacific, emphasizing cooperation in areas like development, trade, and regional security.
Which countries will Lai visit on this tour?
Lai is expected to visit Pacific nations that maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, such as Palau, Nauru, and Tuvalu.